But before we get too excited, government ministers say they are going ahead anyway, and that certainly looks likely at some point, with or without this bill. Cost hasn't stopped other government database projects that have lined the pockets of IT companies at public expense, nor has cost prevented the multi-billion pound war in Iraq. And an updated London School of Economics ‘Identity Report’ complains more than anything that the Home Office hasn’t budged an inch in response to ‘expert’ criticisms.

In February we are expected to see the start of biometric passports - starting with a chip that stores your digital photo and, we assume, with future capacity for finger-prints or eye-scans - and driving licences are also due to be enhanced with biometrics. These are seen as a back-door to a wider spread of compulsory ID, and could still be, even though the Lords appear to have voted down this kind of coupling last week.

The government is also creating a separate database for all children in the UK, to be up and running by 2008. It will contain name, address, gender, date of birth and ID number, information about the child’s parent or carer, and contact details for their school, doctor and other services. It will also allow 'practitioners' (social workers etc.) to "indicate to others that they have information to share, are taking action, or have undertaken an assessment in relation to a child". This is being promoted for child protection, but in reality means another vast identity database that could easily feed into the adult National Identity Register (NIR), which is the major component of Labour's ID Card Bill.

Privacy of medical records is also in question as these become computerised and available to just about anyone working anywhere across the entire NHS (not just your local GP or hospital) and used for all sorts of other purposes like setting prescription prices. At the moment the only way to stop this happening, it seems, is to write an individual opt-out letter to the NHS, otherwise you are considered to have consented! The government would like to link NHS records into the national ID scheme so they can control entitlement to healthcare. A similar trick is going on with the Electoral Register which is currently a local list, but the government intends this to become a national resource to help them set up the NIR.

Finally, we have just found out that the US-led professional body Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) have picked the UK's ID scheme as one of its 5 technology "Losers of 2006". Whilst Labour's biggest IT scheme might just help itself into a coffin on technical grounds it will surely take a concerted effort by activists to drive in the nails. New Defy-ID groups are forming, including one in Nottingham and another one in London, to do just that.

More info:

Corporate Identity: a new 16 page report which digs up more dirt on the companies who are developing and cashing in on ID card and database technology for the UK scheme. Available from Corporate Watch,
16B Cherwell St. Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 1BG or visit  http://www.corporatewatch.org
Document link:  http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=2298

Defending Anonymity: thoughts for struggle against identity cards. Get this free pamphlet from the Anarchist Federation - send an SAE for a printed copy to BM ANARFED, London WC1N 3XX, or visit  http://www.afed.org.uk
Document link:  http://www.libcom.org/hosted/ace/af/anon.html

Defy-ID: Find out about groups in your area (or set one up!). Visit  http://www.defy-id.org.uk

Foundation for Information Policy Research: FIPR are an Internet policy think-tank who advise the government. They have produced a standard opt-out letter to demand privacy of medical records. Individual rather than collective action is limited, but still worth a look. Visit  http://www.fipr.org
Document link:  http://www.fipr.org/nhs-optout.pdf or  http://www.fipr.org/nhs-optout.doc

London School of Economics, Identity Report, Jan 2006 update. See LSE moan about the Home Office ignoring them:  http://is.lse.ac.uk/idcard/
Document link:  http://is.lse.ac.uk/idcard/statusreport.pdf

Children Act (2004). Check out Section 12 on 'Information databases' to read about the powers given to the state by this new legislation, so it can set up ID databases for children :  http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/20040031.htm

No2ID newsblog:  http://www.no2id.net/news/newsblog/index.php

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Previous Indymedia Analysis | Repression :  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2005/11/328589.html
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