Identity Cards Bill

I shall endeavour to keep to the subject of the amendment, although other issues are involved. I believe that even hon. Members who are against ID cards would agree that they would be effective only if it became compulsory to own one at some time in the future. I welcome the Government’s intention to have a separate vote on compulsion in some years’ time. In the meantime, providing ID cards only to people who specifically ask for them would only reap certain advantages. A secure form of proving who we are would be beneficial for everyone who wished to have an ID card, but for them to provide their full benefit, we must not only encourage people to take them up initially but make them compulsory later.