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Identity Cards Bill

I too support the amendment moved by my noble friend Lady Anelay. I do so from a different angle. I have the honour of being a member of Sub-Committee F, the European Union Sub-Committee on Home Affairs. This is exactly the sort of issue the sub-committee should have looked at, but it has not. I am ashamed of my old department. The Home Office quite deliberately did not submit the papers for scrutiny to the sub-committee. Not only did it not submit the papers, it did not think that any information on minimum standards across the Community for identity cards should be revealed at all. I fear that the situation is slightly worse and that my noble friend is trying to shut the door after the horse has bolted. As I understand it, the whole question of minimum standards was agreed at the JHA Council on 1 and 2 December this year, a mere week ago. Not only was Parliament totally ignorant of what was happening; the sub-committees were totally ignorant of it happening. This was a quite deliberate policy of the Home Secretary and the Home Office. The Home Secretary promised to keep the sub-committee informed but he did not. He did not send the papers. The papers were obtained on the website of another organisation. This is an intolerable way to treat Parliament and to treat a sub-committee of your Lordships’ House. I hope that the noble Baroness has an apology to make to all of us.