Residents of Greater Manchester are the first British citizens able to apply for a voluntary ID card from late 2009, it was announced in May by Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.
This is the next step in the delivery of the National Identity Service and will ensure that card take-up and technological capabilities build up side by side. It will give the public, retailers and service providers a chance to become familiar with the cards as supporting hardware such as chip and pin readers are introduced. <br><br>Manchester is already leading the way in the roll-out of identity cards. The city’s airport is working with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) as one of the first wave of airports who are introducing identity cards to airside workers from this autumn. <br><br>Home Secretary says<br><br>Jacqui Smith said: "Manchester is leading the way with the delivery of the National Identity Service. From this autumn the citizens of Manchester will get the first chance to apply for ID cards, giving them a chance to start realising the benefits of identity cards as soon as possible. <br><br>"Our next steps will be for other cities to follow Manchester’s lead before full national coverage from 2012. This phased approach will ensure that card coverage occurs hand-in-hand with development of supporting technology such as chip and pin readers. <br><br>"ID cards will deliver real benefits to everyone, including increased protection against criminals, illegal immigrants and terrorists." <br><br>IPS Chief Executive James Hall visited the city to launch a new online facility for those who are interested in applying for a card. Those who sign up via the Directgov website will be informed when cards become available in their area and get the latest information about the new service from IPS. <br><br>Lord Peter Smith, Chair of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, said: "We are very pleased to support the Identity and Passport Service as the National Identity Service is rolled out starting here in Greater Manchester. <br><br>"We believe that citizens of Greater Manchester will welcome the chance to get an identity card early if they want one to help them prove their identity conveniently and securely." <br><br>Identity cards are already a reality for foreign nationals with work under way to issue more than 75,000 by November this year, helping show that they have the right to work and live in the UK. From 2010 young people can apply for the card and from 2012 the National Identity Service will begin to roll-out for the general population with identity cards available in significant numbers.
What the Tories say
However Chris Grayling has stressed the nation “cannot afford” Labour’s ID card scheme and promised that a Conservative Government would “scrap it as quickly as we can”. The Shadow Home Secretary said he did not think ID cards were “necessary”, especially at a time when “the public finances are in a mess”
He condemned Jacqui Smith’s decision to launch a voluntary, single city scheme in Manchester: “Piloting the scheme in one city is nonsensical and will only serve as a tax on the people of Manchester.”
He added that databases for passports and driving licenses already exist, so spending billions on another scheme “just doesn’t seem to make any sense”. He promised that under a Conservative Government “the ID card scheme will go. I don’t think it is the right thing to do. We don’t think the nation cannot afford it and it won’t happen."
