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As the Identity Card Bill was republished after it
fell at the end of the last Parliament, the
average annual running cost for issuing the
controversial cards alongside passports was put at
£584 million.
The £93 charge would eventually be imposed on
every British adult for their passport and a new
"biometric" identity card carrying
details such as their fingerprints.
Ministers claim the cards will help in the
fight against terrorism, illegal working, illegal
immigration, identity fraud and abuse of public
services such as the NHS.
The scheme, which is opposed by civil liberties
campaigners, will be phased in from 2007-08 when
those applying for a new or renewed passport will
also have to get an ID card.
Although the holding of cards will initially be
voluntary, the Home Office hopes later to persuade
Parliament to make them compulsory - possibly from
as early as 2010.
A massive computer database - the National
Identity Register - will be created by the
Identity Cards Bill to store details held on the
cards, so they can be securely cross-checked.
Each credit-card sized card will have a
microchip capable of storing details such as
fingerprints and other "biometric" data,
such as an electronic scan of the dimensions of
the face and the iris of the eye. Opponents fear
this could later be expanded to include a wide
range of personal data such as health records or
even DNA.
The Home Office said citizens will be able to
apply for a stand-alone ID card without a
passport, but confirmed it will not be possible to
apply for a passport without an ID card.
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