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ID cards project adds implementation chief
To make airside rollout plane sailing?

By Jo Best

Published: Tuesday 18 November 2008

The government agency in charge of the impending ID card rollout has appointed an additional senior executive.

According to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), an extra board member has been appointed to the scheme as the government prepares for the first 50,000 ID cards to be distributed to non-European Economic Area foreign nationals on 25 November.

Vince Gaskell, currently head of the Criminal Records Bureau will move to the IPS to take up a new role as executive director for new service implementation.

In his new position, Gaskell will be in charge of the rollout of ID cards to young people from 2010 and the scheme that will allow the public to pre-register their interest in obtaining a card.

Gaskell will also head up the distribution of cards to airline workers - a controversial move which has seen the British Airline Pilots Association threaten to seek a judicial review.

Cards will be compulsory for "airside workers" from autumn next year, with staff at London City and Manchester airports being the first UK citizens to receive the card.