The government’s identity (ID) card scheme has received a dual blow with two separate reports criticising the handling of the controversial project.
The first report, from the Commons science and technology committee, said the government's plans were "inconsistent" and displayed a disappointing "lack of transparency".
The committee, which includes MPs from the three major parties, said that while the Home Office had followed best practice in establishing advisory committees, using Gateway Reviews and adopting an incremental approach to deployment there were also weaknesses in its use of scientific advice.
And in a damning assessment of the Home Office's recent "market sounding" exercises, the report said, "whilst the Home Office has attempted to consult the wider community, stakeholders have complained that consultations have been unduly limited in scope and their objectives have been unclear. As a result, the wider community does not have the level of confidence in the scheme that could reasonably be expected at this stage."
It also echoed criticisms made recently by Simon Davies of the London School of Economics (LSE) that the Home Office had become overly fixated on biometric technology, concluding that the Home Office's "decisions demonstrate an inconsistent approach to scientific evidence and we are concerned that choices regarding biometric technology have preceded trials".
The report questioned Home Office claims that the scheme would cost £584m a year to run – a figure that have already been challenged by a report from the LSE, which suggested in the best-case scenario it would cost almost double that amount.
The MPs also warned against cutting corners in order to meet cost targets – a tactic the government is thought to be considering after a leaked email between senior civil servants last month said they were considering an early-use version of card featuring scaled-down functionality.
The report also called for clarification about how the cards will be used and recommended that the Home Office release "more information regarding what personal data will be revealed in different scenarios, including in an online context". It added, "Until this information is released, it is difficult to ascertain the true scope of the scheme and to fully understand how technology will be used within the scheme."
Meanwhile, in a separate report, UK information commissioner Richard Thomas upheld two complaints that independent analysis on the progress of the ID card project should not be kept secret. The Treasury now has 35 days to either reveal whether the independent analysis suggested the scheme should go ahead or appeal against the order.
Thomas’s decision followed a similar ruling in June, when he backed a Liberal Democrat MP’s request for publication of a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) feasibility report on the ID card scheme. The DWP has since appealed against that ruling.
Meanwhile, prime minister Tony Blair yesterday (3 August) insisted the scheme would continue and would form a central plank of Labour's next election manifesto.
