August 7, 2007: ID cards In The Pipeline

The Home Office have announced that the procurement process, which has now begun, marks the first major steps towards a national ID card programme. Procurement began this week , with publication of a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union inviting potential suppliers to get involved.

The notice will pave the way for a contract - known as a 'framework agreement' - with some pre-qualified suppliers. The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) will then be able to procure what it needs from that group of suppliers once work gets underway on the identity system.

For this programme, IPS will need companies and agencies that provide a range of skills, services and supplies, in both the private and public sectors. The programme will involve large, complex and secure systems, which will need to be managed reliably.

The ultimate goal, says the Home Office,  is to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience to the millions of people who will ultimately have and use ID cards. Home Office minister Meg Hillier said every step of the process was important, as the National Identity Scheme will be a crucial part of the UK's infrastructure:

'It has become increasingly clear that the methods we have traditionally relied on to prove ID are outdated, inefficient, and open to abuse,' she said. 'That has to end, and that is why we are taking the scheme forward. 'We are committed to introducing the scheme carefully and securely, minimising both cost and risk.'

The programme will provide one mechanism to prove identity. It will end the current mix of methods in which people are identified through letters or bills sent to their houses, or by producing passports or bank account cards as forms of ID. This system is unreliable, and easily defeated by criminals.

IPS Chief Executive James Hall has stated that the arguments for having an ID cards plan in place are compelling, and the will to deliver such a system has not faltered.

The strategic action plan for the National Identity Scheme sets out the basic timeline for the introduction of biometric immigration documents for foreign nationals in 2008, and identity cards for British citizens in 2009.