By Nick Heath, 9 September 2008 16:01
NEWS
The government has revealed it will produce an initial run of 50,000 ID cards before ramping up production in April 2009.
Foreign nationals coming to the UK will be issued cards from 25 November under the £4.7bn scheme.
The government has yet to put a figure on how many ID cards will be issued after the initial deployment, saying "volumes will rise rapidly" from April 2009 but adds the rollout will depend on "the speed of implementation" and "the nature of immigration categories brought into the scheme".
The revelations were made by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in a written answer to parliament.
The ID scheme will be rolled out over the next four years, starting with about 10 million "critical" workers - such as airport staff - in 2009, young people in 2010 and the rest of the UK public in 2011/12, when people will have a choice of a passport or ID card.
Home Office minister Meg Hillier also told parliament that the results of talks with "key stakeholders" in the public, private and voluntary sectors from across the UK will be released in the autumn.
The Home Office's statements come after it emerged that adverstising gurus have been employed to publicise the first wave of the scheme.
The government has said people will face fines of up to £1,000 for skipping biometric scans.
Comments
There are 7 comments. Join the discussion
1. Karen Challinor
told you it wasn't dead
the government cannot keep confidential information secret, we know this, they know this
but they still want everyones data
they still want to micromanage us despite their management of themselves leading us into the worst recession for years
they are desperate to get this scheme rolled out in some form before the next election as once it's in place it will be difficult to diamantle
and it won't be a priority to any new government to dismantle the scheme despite what they may promise before the election assuming Labour lose
so I guess eventually I will be writing my comments from prison because I will be damned if I'm submitting to this
2. Ask Jacky Smith - her snoopers will know
The Torys have said they will cancel the scheme. As an ex-Labour voter, I will vote for them on this point alone.
3. Chris Parsons
Karen, you are so right. I wouldn't trust this bunch of bozos with a pocket calculator, let alone a database of this sort of size. See you in prison.
4. Starman
If the Conservatives, as many expect do win the next election, I dont think the overlords at the Home Office will pushing ahead with Labour's ID card scheme against the express wishes of their new political masters. New broom sweeps clean. It is said that it would take up to 10 years to roll this scheme out to the entire population. I think the incoming Conservative government will have stopped this Socialist nonsense within 6 months of them being elected to office. The cards that have been issued will no longer be legal tender and the ID card act will be repealed by Parliament in due course.
5. Solvitur Ambulando
I'm not going to have one either.
Since there are going to be so many of us, perhaps they'll make it an open prison with everyone carrying a tag for the Identity Wardens to check. How does Prison GB sound? (There, I've just saved the Home Office 2m on the Saatchi bill.)
BTW When I read that 50,000 number I just assumed it was the minimum order quantity from the card supplier...
6. Shaun
Hmm. But there aren't enough prison vacancies I gather, for the countless people who will NOT subscribe to this.
Are you listening yet Gordo? No, ofcourse not, silly me.
7. Karen Challinor
ah but bear in mind we won't be arrested for not having a card, we'll be arrested for not paying the fine for not having a card
so the arrest and imprisonment statistics won't relate to the card, they will relate to non payment of fines and thats what will show in your prison record
not that you made a political statement and disagreed with the government on a matter of policy but that you didn't pay a fine and are therefore a criminal
they covered that base on day one
also they'll be quite happy to send bailiffs round and seize your assets for non payment before thinking of sending you to jail
they've planned ahead
and it won't be relatively high profile people like nick clegg who they go after first either, it will be you and me