Ad gurus called in to help ID cards

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.