The A to Z of ID cards

G is for Government IT

Critics of the project are concerned that such an ambitious project as ID cards is unlikely to succeed, considering the poor track record the public sector has when it comes to large technology programmes.

The public's trust in the government's ability to look after our information has also slumped, following the loss of 25 million records by HM Revenue and Customs in 2007 and the spate of data loss revelations that followed.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) insists lessons will be learned from past IT projects but the project has already seen the shortlist of companies bidding to run the scheme dwindle to just five.

Privacy campaigners have argued the fact that there are just five suppliers left to deliver five parts of the contract means the government has little choice when picking a company to deliver the ID cards scheme.

In 2008 CSC, EDS, Fujitsu, IBM and Thales were shortlisted to bid to produce the cards, ePassports and design and run the National Identity Register - the database that will hold the individual's personal and biometric data.

In April 2009 the Home Office announced that IBM had won a £265m contract to build and run the UK Border Agency database of fingerprints and facial images taken for passports and visa applications, called the National Biometric Information Service (NBIS). The NBIS database will feed into the National Identity Register.

At the same time systems integrator CSC also won a £385m contract to upgrade the IPS application-and-enrolment systems. This will include putting in place different processing systems, and the means for people to apply for biometric passports online.

The IPS is in the process of whittling down the shortlisted companies to run the contracts, and all contracts are expected to be awarded during 2009.

The Conservative Party says it will drop the project if it is elected and Tories claim that the shrinking number of bidders for the contract reflected a lack of confidence by the private sector that ID cards have a future.

IPS says that building on the existing passport systems will help reduce risks, as will a phased approach to linking services to the scheme and developing the cards themselves.