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

My Lords, these are cheaper and handier to carry. My youngsters have now grown up, but when they were in their mid-teens I would much rather that they had had an identity card each. They can easily tell someone that they have lost them by phoning through. We cannot yet do that with passports; maybe in the future we will be able to. I think that there is a huge utility to them. I will have no difficulty in having one. It will be jolly useful and I look forward to having it in my wallet. I think that there will be an awful lot of people who will want to do that and will find them extremely useful. Perhaps I may write to individuals. I believe that these five draft statutory instruments are essential for the introduction of the card. I believe that having the card is a good thing and that it will be very useful for people and that in time we will look back on this and think, "My goodness me, why was there all this fuss?". Research has shown a consistent level of public support for this—60 per cent. I therefore commend these statutory instruments to your Lordships’ House and I trust that the explanation that I have given has reassured the noble Baroness opposite. Motion agreed.