By Tim Ferguson, 9 September 2008 10:54
NEWS
The Home Office has enlisted the help of advertising agency M&C Saatchi to promote the national ID card scheme.
Adverstising gurus will be employed to spread the word about the first wave of the scheme, set to be rolled out for foreign nationals in November this year.
Silicon.com's A to Z of ID Cards
Click on the links below to find out everything you ever needed to know about the government's ID card plans...
A is for Act
B is for Biometrics
C is for Compulsory
D is for Data privacy worries
E is for EDS
F is for Forgery
G is for Government IT
H is for Home Office
I is for Identity and Passport Service
J is for Jury
K is for Hong Kong
L is for London School of Economics
M is for Money
N is for National Identity Register
O is for Other cards
P is for Passports
Q is for Quarter
R is for Refuseniks
S is for Self-destruct
T is for Terrorist
U is for Utility bill
V is for Verification
W is for When
X is for Xenophobia
Y is for Young people
Z is for London Zoo
A Home Office spokesman said the department is already working closely with business and "other key stakeholders" to keep people informed about the introduction of ID cards.
"Identity cards for foreign nationals are a crucial part in the fight against illegal migration, enabling those who are here legally to prove it and prevent those here illegally benefiting from the privileges of living in Britain," he said.
The spokesman added the promotional activity will increase as the launch date for biometric ID cards for foreign nationals approaches in November.
The plans for the ID card scheme were scaled back in March when the government said the scheme would no longer be compulsory.
ID cards will now be voluntary from 2010, with a parliamentary vote on whether to make them compulsory by 2015 having been postponed.
Students are among the first groups who will be offered the chance to get an ID card in 2010 but many have expressed opposition to the idea.
The government predicts the scheme will cost a total of £5.6bn to roll out.
Comments
There are 5 comments. Join the discussion
1. Radical Meldrew
This says it all really; a cool and trendy approach to everything is all our media conscious government seem to aim for.... Gloss and glitter over substance. Fortunately a good portion of the public is more discerning than they are given credit for and will see through the cracks in this latest shallow PR fa?e.
2. Karen Challinor - soon to be prisoner # 9995768143
the only way it will work at all is if everybody has one, the are carried compulsorily and they are produced on demand to any authority figure who asks for it such as local council workers
and even then it won't do anything the government claims for it, it will however provide almost total surveillance data on everyone in the country which can then be datamined and sold to third parties
so get used to being told in no uncertain terms what to do by anyone wearing a uniform or carrying an official badge with accompanying reprisals for a refusal to comply
get used to having no choice in anything that matters any more
3. Richard Davies
The scheme is a waste of money and this advertising scheme will simply add to the waste.
In a time like this where hard working people are struggling, I see it as a kick in the teeth to keep on taking and then wasting tax payers money.
If the government had a sensible scheme that the UK public backed it wouldn't need to advertise it would it?
I wonder exactly how much this advertising will cost?
4. Bill Citrine
"UK Biometric..... Probably the Best ID Card in the World!"
"ID Card... Your Flexible Fiend!"
"Don't Leave Home Without It... or else!"
"We Know He Drinks Carling Black Label!"
.... bring on the Smash Robots...
5. Ruth
The country is bankrupt & the so-called govt of None of the Talents hasn't a clue how to sort it out. However, they can afford to pay an advertising company to try & 'sell' their police surveillance state ID card to the public. Run, don't walk to no2id & stop the waste of money - our money