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Identity Cards Bill

I refer the Minister to the response to a Question for a Written Answer on 16 March 2005, at col. 316W of Hansard for the House of Commons. Mr Weir asked, on biometric data, whether the Government would,"““list the identifiers that will be held digitally on the chip in the ePassport””." The response was:"““In compliance with ICAO requirements, the chip will hold a facial image of the passport holder. This facial image will be derived from the applicant’s photo submitted at time of application and will be stored in accordance with ICAO and ISO standards.""Additional information will include that which is currently shown on the personal details page of the passport, namely name, nationality, date of birth, sex, place of birth, date of issue/expiry and passport number””." I raise that because I believe that there will be problems with identity. The Minister was kind and charming enough to draw attention to the fact that her lovely brown eyes would be easily recognised. I should advise her that a smart Christmas gift at the moment is soft contact lenses in different colours, enabling you to change your eyes to green, blue, or to almost every colour except for red. I have a feeling that the technology may not be up with the ambition, and I return once again to the importance of the relationship between the passport and the identity card.