Robert Brown calls for end to ID cards

12.00.00am GMT Mon 14th Jan 2008

Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown has today called for Government plans to make people carry identity cards to be scrapped.

Mr. Brown voiced his concerns after Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP published figures showing that 37 million pieces of personal information on UK citizens were lost in 2007, mostly by the Government. (see below)

In November, It was revealed that the personal details of 25 million parents and children were lost by the Government's Revenue and Customs department (HMRC), and may have fallen into the hands of identity fraudsters.

Mr. Brown said:

"Labour's expensive identity cards scheme is based on the Government storing large amounts of information about each one of us on a central database.

"Yet in 2007 the Government stumbled from one data loss crisis to another. The worst example came in November when the Government lost the personal details of all 25 million families with children. That has put the privacy of every family in Rutherglen and Cambuslang at risk.

"The news that last year, 37 million pieces of personal information about UK citizens were lost should make any Government worry about the way it handles the information it holds at the moment, never mind introduce schemes to create more.

"The dangers of putting so much information about every citizen in the UK into one central database are clear to everyone except, it seems, the Labour Government. Ministers are in denial when they argue that the information will be safe and people's privacy will not be undermined.

"I am very pleased that new Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg is leading the battle to end the ID cards scheme. Liberal Democrats in Rutherglen and Cambuslang are right behind him.

"The plan to make everyone carry a piece of plastic should be buried before it ends up as another expensive government fiasco.

"The scheme will be a bureaucratic nightmare. It won't prevent illegal working. It won't help stop crime or terrorism.

"If the government really wants to make an impact on crime, terrorism and illegal immigration, the money it has earmarked for this scheme would be far better spent on more police and intelligence officers. That is what the Liberal Democrats would do."

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