ID Cards on Trial: Warning over IT upgrade costs

Government IT systems may face costly upgrades and re-programming in order to recognised the new unique identity number that will be assigned to individuals as part of the government's controversial ID card scheme.

The Home Office claims in its own benefits overview report that many of the strategic benefits of the ID card scheme will derive from the use of a unique Identity Registration Number (IRN) "unequivocally linked to an individual".

But one ID card expert told silicon.com this raises the spectre of huge system costs as government IT systems are rewritten to incorporate and recognise the IRN. "Think Y2K but worse," he said.

No figures have yet been produced on the costs to individual government departments and other public sector authorities and bodies that will need to use the ID verification service provided by the National Identity Register.

Most government departments say they have yet to conduct any assessment of the cost of upgrading IT systems or buying new equipment as a result of the ID card scheme.

Defence minister Don Touhig said in a written parliamentary answer: "The Ministry of Defence is in dialogue with the Home Office and we will judge the impact on our IT systems as details of the scheme emerge. As the design of the scheme matures, during and after the procurement exercise, so will our understanding of where the scheme will be of most benefit which will allow us to further refine our estimates of costs and benefits."

But the Home Office has hit back and accused the London School of Economics (LSE) of using "inaccurate assumptions" to inflate estimates that the national ID card scheme will cost £19bn.

In an official response to the LSE's costing and proposals for an alternative ID scheme the Home Office re-iterates its position that the cards will only need to be replaced once every 10 years and that card readers will cost a maximum of £750 and not the £5,000 the LSE claims.

The ID cards bill this week completed its passage through the standing committee phase where MPs debate proposed amendments to the legislation before it is voted on again by MPs and the House of Lords.