CIO Forum: 'ID cards are no worry,' says gov CIO

John Suffolk, UK government CIO, has told attendees at the silicon.com CIO Forum that many of the concerns surrounding ID cards are unfounded.

While he admitted "the whole matter of whether it is right or wrong is a matter for ministers", he said there is nothing in the technical specifications of the project that have given him any sleepless nights since taking the job over the summer.

He said: "There is nothing new or cutting edge. I'm not sitting here worrying about the base technology." He added that biometrics is well established, and said there are larger databases and systems processing more transactions than the UK ID cards system will once live.

The London Stock Exchange, he said, will process more transactions every day than the ID cards database ever will and he added people should give public sector IT projects the same chances as they do in the private sector.

Addressing fears about personal data being shared, he said: "Look at the situation in the private sector. You can't get credit unless you agree to your data being shared."

Suffolk added that the UK is too quick to criticise government IT projects. "It's a British cultural thing to only look at what's gone wrong," he said.

However, on the issue of cost and whether it will run on time, Suffolk admitted there is much about the project that defies accurate projections or guarantees.

He said any large project with the inherent complexities of a public sector project runs the risk of being delivered late. "I can't tell you what the money's going to be at this stage," he added, noting that as the bill went through Parliament, requirements for ID cards were changed and this is currently being reflected in the revised design.