Written question asked by Mark Oaten (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 12 November 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 November 2004. It was answered by Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour) on Thursday, 18 November 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the unit cost of a biometric identity card reader; what estimate he has made of the potential savings in identity fraud costs that may be consequent on development of the identity card scheme; which (a) employers and (b) interested groups are being consulted about the design of the identity card verification service; if he will publish the conclusions of his Department's Science and Technology Reference Group's examination of the identity card programme; through which stages of the Office of Government Commerce's Gateway process the identity cards project has passed; what research he has commissioned into the effects of identity cards in reducing terrorism. - No figures. It has not proved possible to respond to the rt hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Answer: Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the unit cost of a biometric identity card reader; [198901] (2) what estimate he has made of the potential savings in identity fraud costs that may be consequent on development of the identity card scheme; [198902] (3) which (a) employers and (b) interested groups are being consulted about the design of the identity card verification service; [198905] (4) if he will publish the conclusions of his Department's Science and Technology Reference Group's examination of the identity card programme; [198906] (5) through which stages of the Office of Government Commerce's Gateway process the identity cards project has passed; [198900] (6) what research he has commissioned into the effects of identity cards in reducing terrorism. [198904] Mr. Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Secondary information