Dodging ID cards to cost £2,500
People failing to sign up for the new national ID card could face fines of up to £2,500, the home secretary has revealed today.
David Blunkett announced the details of his draft bill on the scheme, at the beginning of a week that will see people carry ID cards for the first time as part of a national trial.
In the next few days, 10,000 volunteers in Newcastle, Leicester, and Glasgow will carry cards that include personal information, a digital photo and biometric details such as iris scans and fingerprints.
Mr Blunkett is convinced a new system for storing biometric data could prevent a terror attack on British soil, and ensure that the country does not become a “soft touch” for terrorists.
The draft bill included a provision for it to be a criminal offence if people carry false papers, but failing to register for the scheme will be seen as a civil offence.
Members of Parliament will be presented with a full bill this autumn, but will have until 2013 to decide upon whether the scheme should be made compulsory.
The first biometric passports to store fingerprint or iris scan information, are set to be issued in 2005, while the first cards carrying fingerprint details should be available in 2007.
