The home secretary, Charles Clarke, will today guarantee that
the personal details contained on the national identity card will not go beyond
those currently on passports. He will write the (36) into
the legislation which passes through its final (37) in the
Commons today. The bill (38) that only name,
date and place of birth, gender, address, nationality and immigration
(39) can be recorded on the ID database. The home secretary has
promised fresh legislation will have to be introduced if extra personal details
such as health records, (40) records or other background
information were added. Mr. Clarke will also promise that
everyone will be able to access their entry on the national ID card database and
see which organizations had been (41) their identity. At the
same time ministers will table new government amendments to ensure those who
(42) the national ID cards register will not be able to tell
who has a criminal record on the police (43)
computer. (44) . The Home Office
has opened talks with departments likely to benefit from the introduction of the
scheme to see if they can recoup some of the overall costs. (45)
. The Home Office minister, Andy Burnham, said
scanners and readers needed for the national identity card scheme would have to
be introduced anyway to upgrade to the next generation of "biometric" passports.
He said other departments which would make savings as a result of the
introduction of ID cards would make a contribution. (46)