Want a passport? Join the National Identity Register

Public sector ICT monitors Kable have revealed that the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, plans to introduce primary legislation which would require passport applicants to be fingerprinted and enrolled on the National Identity Register.

As they write:

In response to a question from his Conservative shadow Chris Grayling, Johnson said:

"The provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006 will be amended by further primary legislation, so that everyone aged 16 and over who applies for a British passport will have the choice of being issued with an identity card or a passport (or both documents) and for their identity details, including facial image and fingerprint biometrics, to be recorded on the same National Identity Register."

As Kable notes, even if Labour wins the next election, Johnson might struggle using primary legislation to force this through Parliament in the face of the opposition to identity cards from the Lib Dems and Conservatives.

Nevertheless, I have been moved on several occasions in recent weeks to remind people that whatever the Government might have said the past, the ID card scheme and National Identity Register remain very much alive.

This latest revelation adds further proof that the Big Brother ambitions of our current executive show no signs of going away. 

By Dylan Sharpe

Comments

[guy herbert]

Do please note that the amendment required is to primary legislation to enable them not to give you an ID card. Further misleading fetishisation of the card, and a distraction from the Register, which is the really dangerous part of the scheme. The Home Secretary is currently compelled to issue you with an ID card if you apply - willingly or otherwise - to be on the Register. The IPS has been planning for years to make passports a "designated document" under the Identity Cards Act, which would mean you have to be, or apply to be, entered on the National Identity Register in order to apply for a passport. Your passport has an expiry date, but being on the National Identity Register is for ever.

[Bob morgan]

Did you know that all Passport Applications from 01 August 2010 will have to be sent to the National Passport Office in Dusseldorf?

Not thought this one out have we?

[Purlieu]

I bet the Sun needs to know that one promto

[Biffo]

Postman Prat's latest trick is one of the reasons that I have reverted to my former nationality as have other family members & we now hold passports from that country in addition to a British one. When my British passport expires, I will not be renewing it. So, up yours Postman Prat, apart from any of your drooling Stasi box filling you've also lost out on passport fees..

[confused]

can some one tell me when is the last date on which I should apply for a passport or re-new a passport to avoid being fingerprinted!! can any one help please

[Mark]

@ confused

? late 2011? see

http://www.renewforfreedom.net/

[Gordo]

Thanks for the link Mark, but seriously do the British people want to be fingerprinted? as far as I know the conservatives are going to go ahead with fingerprinting passport applicants, so in reality we are not going to roll back labour legislation even bigbrotherwatch are not trying to roll back the powers given to councils and other Gov agencies bigbruv watch have only proposed codifying these intrusive big brother (GDR)powers, I think the british people need to wake up an realise that Britian is the new GDR and its not going away anytime soon!

[Purlieu]

I'll only be fingerprinted if it's captured on CCTV

[linda]

Boy did you change that. The tears of laughter were rolling down my cheeks the first time since Faulty Towers!