• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• UK: Identity Card Bill being rushed through parliament

UK: Identity Card Bill being rushed through parliament

01 November 2004

The Identity Cards Bill entered the committee stage in the second week of January, where it will be examined clause by clause. However the level of scrutiny that MPs will be able to give the bill is limited. The government is rushing the bill through parliament following a programme motion (in effect, a “guillotine”) that means the committee stage must be completed by 27 January. MPs did not return from Christmas recess until Monday, 10 January, so that leaves just two an a half weeks to examine a lengthy and controversial bill that has enormous costs and major constitutional implications.

The committee will then produce a report, which will be allowed just one hour of debate in the commons. The Third Reading of the bill is limited to a single day. The low turnout for the Second Reading of the Bill (173 MPs were absent or abstained) suggests that there could be a more sizeable back bench revolt at Third Reading. NO2ID, the campaigning group, has compiled a list of MPs who publicly support NO2ID as well as those that are opposed to ID cards in principle. After the Third Reading it will go the the House of Lords.

The Bill will introduce compulsory finger-printing for the five million people who get a new passport every year who will also get an ID card at the same time. The government says that by 2012/3 some 80% of the population will have an ID card at which point it will become compulsory to have one.

See: www.no2id.net/about/mp_supporters.php