Introduction
The Government's decision to introduce a national Identity Cards Scheme was announced in the Queen's Speech in May 2005 and the Identity Cards Bill was reintroduced to Parliament.
The Home Office say that ID cards will provide UK residents with an easy, secure and efficient way to prove who they are and that they will increase the security of the individual's identity. ID cards will only be issued to people over the age of 16 and people who have been in the country for 3 months or more.
The Home Office website contains detailed information on the Identity Card Scheme as well as information on the UK Passport Service Biometrics Enrolment Trial.
The following is based on information available on the Home Office website.
How secure will ID cards be?
ID cards will be contain biometric information about the owner - for example fingerprint details. Therefore an ID card will be a strong and secure way of protecting the owner's identity. Background checks will ensure that claimed identities are not stolen so it will stop criminals using multiple identities.
What will an ID card look like?
The ID card will look like a plastic credit card featuring the owner's photograph and a computer chip storing personal information. Each ID card will be unique.
What are the benefits of an ID card?
- ID cards increase protection against identity theft or fraud.
- They will give a convenient and trusted way to prove your age.
- They will speed up many everyday transactions.
- ID cards will make it easier for you to travel in Europe because there will be no need to carry a passport. ID cards will include information about the nationality of the holder.
- They will make it simpler to prove your identity so you will not need to keep many different identity documents.
For more information on benefits of the scheme visit the Identity Cards website.
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