UK Home Secretary: Biometrics can be recorded in private sector vendors

The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced that biometrics for ID cards can be collected in local chemists and post offices.

In a low-key breakfast meeting in Manchester, Smith said providing facilities on the high street would allow people to provide their biometric details while shopping and offer greater revenue opportunities for the private sector.

"The companies interested in working with us to deliver the service will play a key role in ensuring that the public can apply for an ID card or passport simply and easily," she said. "While private companies will clearly benefit from the increased footfall from offering this service, their customers will benefit from being able to quickly provide their biometrics while they are out doing the shopping." Smith is believed to be holding meetings throughout today with post office managers and pharmacy trade groups.

John Turk, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: "The association has expressed an interest in ensuring that community pharmacy members have an opportunity to provide biometric enrolment services. Community pharmacies are located in the heart of their communities, so they could help to make the process of applying for an ID card or passport especially convenient."

It has been suggested for some time that private sector vendors would provide the biometric recording facilities, lowering the cost burden to government. However, a Home Office poll in July 2008 found just 24 per cent were comfortable having their biometrics recorded in such locations.

Smith also announced that Manchester's residents will be the first in the country entitled to volunteer for the cards. Residents of Greater Manchester's 10 metropolitan boroughs who hold a valid British passport will become the first to be able to volunteer for an ID card. Lord Smith, chairman of the Association Greater Manchester Authorities believed Manchester residents will "welcome the chance" to get an ID card early.

Manchester Airport and London City Airport are already expected to take part in a trial of ID cards as part of the critical worker identity card (CWIC). However, opposition from aviation unions and threats of legal action have put these trials under threat.

For those wishing to register their interest in getting an ID card early, James Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), announced an online facility to be made available on the Directgov website.

The national coordinator of NO2ID, Phil Booth, called the announcements made today "a face-saving exercise to avoid ministerial egg on face".

"It is a stunt to say they have started to sign up volunteers for this scheme, and to create the impression of moving forward, because for every step they take, they take two steps backwards," he said.

Costs for the ID card scheme have also risen, the Home Office has admitted. Figures published in tandem with the other announcements have shown the overall cost of the ID card scheme has risen to £5.3bn. The figures did not include the costs that will have to be paid by organisations such as government departments and the NHS to provide machines to read the cards.

Source: publicservice.co.uk