ID Cards Bill in crisis over cost 

The proposed ID Cards Bill has been hailed by many as the answer to terrorism, benefit fraud and identity theft. The Government’s most recent research, retaken following the London bombings this summer, shows there is strong citizen support for the scheme with 73% in favour, 17% opposed and 10% neutral. However, ministers suffered their first major setback last night as peers voted strongly against the proposed bill. The major concerns centred around the costs of the scheme.

Last night peers voted in favour of an amendment to the bill, which would delay its implementation until a full account of costs has been provided. Throughout the history of the bill there has been controversy as to what the actual costs of the scheme would be. The Government insists that the administration costs would be about £584m a year (with the cost of the actual ID card and biometric passport being around £93), but this is in stark contrast to the London School of Economics, which suggests that a more