The A to Z of ID cards

E is for Enrolment

The government hopes to help cut the projected cost of the ID cards scheme for UK citizens from £5.6bn to £4.7bn by outsourcing the collecting of biometric details to high street businesses.

The move has prompted concern from banks and security experts who said it would be almost impossible to lock the biometrics to biographical details in a secure manner if those details were recorded in a high street business.

It also means the public will face an additional cost to register their biometric details in addition to the £30 cost of the card.