Identity Cards Act 2006 (Information and Code of Practice on Penalties) Order 2009

My Lords, there will be a mechanism to make sure that the database is run correctly. There will be an independent person to make sure that things are being done properly, which I think is appropriate. If we were not doing it, I imagine that I would be standing here and people would be saying, "Why the hell haven’t we got someone doing this?", so it makes sense. The debates on cost are very interesting. There is a lot of loose talk about how much money can be saved by not doing this. If anyone’s plans are made on the basis that the amount of money this is in theory costing will suddenly be available for spending to bail out some other issue, they are living in cloud-cuckoo-land. The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, mentioned take-up. I say again that these cards are voluntary in France, where there is a huge take-up because of the value and ease of using them. There will be a large take-up here, I am sure.