The government's ID cards programme has started a "market sounding" exercise in order to get the views of the IT industry on design of key systems.

In a written statement to parliament, Home Office minister Tom McNulty said that the programme is looking to "validate the emerging procurement strategy" for ID cards.

McNulty stressed that the request for information from industry before legislation has been passed does not prejudge the outcome of the parliamentary process.

He said: "It is however right to conduct this exercise now so that the Home Office is prepared for the process of implementing identity cards without undue delay once Royal Assent is granted."

The questionnaire covers all aspects of the programme. Among other issues, it asks for views on whether the market has capacity to work with biometric technology under the programme; what "integration issues" there could be in linking different systems; and what the "appropriate contract length" for deals covering components of the programme would be.

It also includes provisions for a data centre, the management of verification and enrolment and technical support.

The publication of the consultation document comes amid concerns in the IT industry that the government is being overly secretive in its plans and failing to adequately engage with suppliers and experts.

Speaking after the publication of the document on 20 October, 2005, Katherine Courtney, project director of the identity cards unit at the Home Office, defended the programme's position: "We are open to discuss with industry but everybody knows that if you get Royal Assent for a programme that will be spending quite a lot of money that you will get inundated by suppliers. We have to work within European procurement rules which is exactly what we are doing."