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Identity Cards Bill

As I said, I may be wrong about the number. The Minister may leap to his feet and say that I have got it totally wrong and there will be 700, with an army of people going out in mobile units visiting old people’s homes, and that all will be simply marvellous. All I am saying is, whatever the good intentions of the Government, we have learnt enough about their performance in such matters—indeed, in their handling of the Bill—not to have total confidence in them, particularly as they will not give us any serious facts about the costs. Again, I will not jump ahead to a debate, but we have had the letter which the noble Baroness has circulated, not by e-mail but by mail—I am sorry that her instructions were not carried out by her department because I would have had the entire weekend to examine it in further detail—and it is quite clear that the arguments advanced in it on the costs question are largely specious. Therefore I am even more suspicious when they tell me, ““We have costed the provision of these arrangements for ensuring that people are registered””. I support my noble friend’s amendment. Unless I get a very good answer, I shall be inclined to press later my Amendment No. 160, which requires that there should be a report to Parliament and that Parliament should be allowed to judge the adequacy of the Government’s arrangements before the scheme goes ahead.