Chris Huhne on ID cards

2.34.00pm GMT Sat 28th Nov 2009

Chris Huhne Shadow Home Sec.

ID cards scheme should be scrapped - Huhne

Commenting on Sir Joseph Pilling's remarks that the Government's national identity register - the controversial database at the heart of the ID card scheme - is "up and running", Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"With all due respect to Sir Joseph, I hope his job only lasts for another six months.

"The Government has managed to get the most intrusive database in history up and running and is already squandering huge amounts of money on it.

"ID cards should be scrapped immediately - they are an expensive way of achieving nothing."

The Government is spending nearly a quarter of a million pounds a day to develop ID cards and biometric passports, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

The figures, revealed in a Parliamentary answer, show that:

Between April 2006 and September 2009, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) spent £216.1m on future development projects for ID cards and biometric passports - or £169,092 a day

·Spending so far this year (2009/10) has been at a record high, with £42m spent in six months or £229,508 every day. In 2008/09, £81.5m was spent or £223,288 every day

·Between April 2003 and April 2006, the Home Office spent £41.1m on the ID cards programme - at a cost of £37,534 a day

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"It is staggering that the Government is spending a quarter of a million pounds every day on developing ID cards and biometric passports.

"Such enthusiastic spending is brazen when public finances are under such strain and opposition to the scheme is mounting.

"Ministers should explain exactly what this money is being lavished on. It is no good to pretend they do not know what ID cards cost.

"Any taxpayer's money spent on ID cards is wasted - they will not fight terrorism, cut crime or halt illegal working.

"The Government should put an end to the ID cards fiasco and use the huge amount of money saved to put 10,000 more police on the street."