Downing Street Says

Asked to clarify the Prime Minister’s email response to an e-petition on ID card security, the PMOS replied that he was somewhat surprised by the story in the Daily Telegraph. Not least because, going back to an article that the Prime Minister wrote for the Telegraph on 06 November 2006, he explicitly discussed precisely what he said in response to the e-petition on ID cards. This was not a new issue. The figure of 900,000 crimes was in the cost report in October 2006; it was one of the five core reasons on the face of the ID Card Act when it was introduced; even going back to the draft Bill in April 2004, it was made clear that the police would be able to check crime scene fingerprints against those held on the national identity register; and the Prime Minister explicitly discussed the issue in his press conference in November 2006 as well. Again, this issue was not a new one.

Asked to clarify that if fingerprints were taken for an ID card, the police would then be able to track down everything that person had done in the 90s, the PMOS replied first that he would dread to think what Bloomberg’s correspondent got up to in the 90s! But let’s be clear, if the police asked for fingerprints to be crosschecked, then that had always been part of the intention, as had been explicitly stated. This was not an issue that was raised when it went through Parliament. This was not open season, but if there was a specific request from the police to check fingerprints, then that had always been a part of what was there.

3 Comments »

IM 45 AND I AM FOR ID CARDS, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD FOR THE IMPROVMENT OF SECURITY AND SAFTEY OF THE UK AND ITS LOYAL PUBLIC.THE SOONER THE BETTER.
Comment by len north — 21 Feb 2007 on 9:43 pm | Link
Then you’re obviously a 45 year old moron…
Comment by CP — 22 Feb 2007 on 6:00 am | Link
I agree with CP, but giving you the benefit of the doubt, can I ask HOW you think ID cards will improve security and safety in the UK. Even the ministers that are pushing for this have conceded that’s not the case!
Comment by MH — 2 Mar 2007 on 3:49 pm | Link

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» Tuesday, February 20, 2007

ID Cards

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