ID Cards will be a 'great British institution'

[Grumpmeister]

Yes its that old favourite again, ID cards are going to be as much an important part of the UK by 2020 as the railway system was in the 19th century.

If my memory serve me correctly isnt an institution somewhere that the mad were locked away back in the 19th century. If that is the case then I agree, this is a 19th century institution. 

The identity card scheme will become a "great British institution" on a par with the railways in the 19th Century, Home Office minister Liam Byrne says.
He said it was "time to get on with it" and predicted that the National Identity Scheme "will soon become part of the fabric of British life".

But plans to "multiply the uses" of the ID scheme, would mean there should be stronger accountability to Parliament.

Current ID trials include employment, age and criminal records checks.

The Home Office intends to introduce biometric identification for foreign nationals in 2008, with the first ID cards for British citizens issued in 2009.

Fingerprint data

The plans for ID cards have proved controversial and are opposed by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats on cost, effectiveness and civil liberty grounds.

And Phil Booth, from the anti-ID card campaign group No2ID, said: "It is crazy to suggest that the best way to 'protect' our identities in the future is to hand them to the Home Office - the department of cock-up and cover-up. These are the last people on earth you should trust to keep your information safe."

  I wouldnt trust these moronic numpties with my shopping list never mind my personal information.

Mr Byrne, the immigration minister, said: "In 20 years time, I suspect that the National Identity Scheme will be just a normal part of British life - another great British institution without which modern life, whatever it looks like in 2020, would be quite unthinkable."

He said they would help secure borders, help people avoid fraud as internet use soars and would help avoid "a proliferation of plastic, passwords and PINs".

At a Chatham House conference on identity management and global mobility, he said almost 400,000 people applying for a British visa had had their fingerprint checks by spring this year.

Of those, more than 4,000 had been spotted through biometric checking as having withheld information on a previous immigration matter, he said.

Nearly 2,800 of those matches were with fingerprint data previously collected in the UK from people who have attempted to claim asylum.

More than 300 of the matches were with people who had previously been subject to removal directions.

Trials

In other areas of "usefulness", Mr Byrne said trials were progressing between the Criminal Records Bureau and the Identity and Passport Service, involving 200 volunteers, aimed at reducing the time taken for background criminal checks from four weeks to four days.

These are the checks best known for being carried on people who want to work with children, or parents who want to help out at a school.

Another trial involved the identity service and the Borders and Immigration Agency's employers' checking service - employers will be able to check the validity of British passports as evidence of an applicant's identity and right to live and work in the UK.

Mr Byrne also said work was under way with the retail industry to standardise proof of age checks for sales of restricted goods such as knives, solvents and alcohol.

'Meet those with views'

There were "further joint ventures" planned with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Government Gateway, a registration website promoted as a "single point of entry" for government transactions, such as filing VAT returns, he said.

During a speech in which he said the scheme would be self financing once up and running, Mr Byrne said he wanted to see a greater role for the proposed National Identity Scheme Commissioner.

The commissioner will be appointed to oversee the operation, particularly the uses of ID cards and the confidentiality of the information gathered, reporting to Parliament annually.

But, Mr Byrne said: "If we are to multiply the uses of the NIR (National Identity Register) I think we should look hard at how the commissioner or Parliament is involved - more dynamically than an annual report."

Hmm self financing and multiplying the uses of the register? Why do I get the nagging feeling this means telemarketing?

He said he planned "to meet those with views shortly to begin this conversation".

[Misunderstood]

If they think 20 and 7 add up to 20 then I don't really want anything to do with them.  I'd rather trust Ali Baba.

Although if will save us all that bother with passwords and the like, because we will only be allowed to have just the one - government allotted - password.   It'll save them a fortune trying to crack your PGP setup, and in making you account for all your taxes, it will making it truly self financing.

We can't wait........




To say "Stuff it!" *
 

* See the other thread about jail re-use.

[Barman]

I got my new passport yesterday at the cost of a Kin?s ransom?

Presumably the extra charges are to support the wireless antenna and ?ID? chip that are built into the back page of the thing? No doubt I will now be able to ?fast? track? though the normal time wasting routines at airports around the world? Course not ? it is a complete waste of time and money like the ID card will be?

They will bring it in eventually but like so many other failed IT projects it will be watered down until it becomes like the ID cards everywhere else in the world ? your picture, name and address on it. By then of course they will have spent billions on it and it will all be too late?

I love this bit in the original post: -

In other areas of "usefulness", Mr Byrne said trials were progressing between the Criminal Records Bureau and the Identity and Passport Service, involving 200 volunteers, aimed at reducing the time taken for background criminal checks from four weeks to four days.

What a pile of cock! How exactly are they going to achieve that? For the card to do what they claim it has to be totally secure and accurate with no chance whatsoever that the biometrics on the card do not relate to the person you claim to be. How will they do a thorough background check in a few days and how will I get mine out here?

Of course they will probably populate the ?Verification Centres? with Nigerians so at least one large portion of the applicants will be processed swiftly.

 

[Darwins Selection]

I got my new passport yesterday at the cost of a Kin?s ransom?

Which relative did you hock?

[Barman]

I got my new passport yesterday at the cost of a Kin?s ransom?

Which relative did you hock?

[Misunderstood]

I got my new passport yesterday at the cost of a Kin?s ransom?

Presumably the extra charges are to support the wireless antenna and ?ID? chip that are built into the back page of the thing? No doubt I will now be able to ?fast? track? though the normal time wasting routines at airports around the world? Course not ? it is a complete waste of time and money like the ID card will be?

Bad news for you.

All the people stuck in the jams at the airports have the 'King's Ransom' ID chip in them.  The old one have to be checked in the usual way and do not cause delays.

The 'Fast Track' way that they want is the full monty biometrics and biography ID document that everyone is resisting.  We won't keep you waiting as long with our document of choice wheedles the government.

No. It's true! They won't, the existing method just compares your photo, the one they hope you will all flock to out of desperation will check many other things including eye corona and fingerprints (Yes all of them).  I'll leave you to figure out how long that'll take - and cost.      But it'll be too late then.

I think I'll go the terrorists route, They don't have any problems getting in.

[Grumpmeister]

The 'Fast Track' way that they want is the full monty biometrics and biography ID document that everyone is resisting.  We won't keep you waiting as long with our document of choice wheedles the government.

Expect to see peeping toms at the airport then.