Identity Cards Bill

I have two points to make in response. First, it is not a case of either/or. He will know—the point has been made many times—that this Government have invested significantly in police on the beat and we are proud to have done so. The hon. Gentleman’s main point—and a mistake made by the Opposition throughout the debate—is the suggestion that a pot of funds is sitting in the Home Office to pay for the entire scheme and that it can easily be directed to another Home Office priority. The whole premise is that the basis of funding the scheme will be the same as for passports: the costs of running the passport service are predominantly recovered from the fees people pay for their passport. That principle will continue when we introduce a biometric ID card system.