Council's good sense over ID cards

Published: 4:42 PM February 18, 2009 Updated: 3:39 PM November 1, 2020

I would like to congratulate South Cambridgeshire District Council on showing good sense in passing a motion against using ID cards. The Government s unpopular and highly expensive scheme for a National Identity Register is unnecessary, unsafe, and no p

I would like to congratulate South Cambridgeshire District Council on showing good sense in passing a motion against using ID cards.

The Government's unpopular and highly expensive scheme for a National Identity Register is unnecessary, unsafe, and no protection against acts of terrorism.

The people of Spain had ID cards when the Madrid train bombings took place.

The estimated minimum �5.5 billion cost of the ID card system would be better spent where it is really needed, on schools, hospitals, "green" investment, and creating jobs and council homes.

You may also want to watch:

I feel strongly that personal data is not safely handled by Government departments, as has been shown too many times by loss of sensitive data, and ID card theft and fraud would be a lucrative business for criminals.

This ill-advised scheme threatens to cost us a lot of money, as well as our privacy, but of course it will bring in profits for a company that wins the contract to process our personal data.