---

Identity Cards Bill

I support what my noble friend has just said and I support what my noble friend Lady Anelay said in moving the amendment. When reading these points in the Bill, one wonders why anything else is put in except that,"““The Secretary of State may, without the individual’s consent, provide a person with information recorded in an individual’s entry in the Register””," for any purpose specified by order made by the Secretary of State. All the other words are otiose; they are not necessary; they are simply courteous examples of what the Bill might be used for. A Bill that makes very significant inroads into the privacy of individuals and our right to lead our lives without being trapped from birth to death in any significant move that we make, requires proper explanation. My noble friend Lord Crickhowell is right to draw attention to Clause 4, which deals with designated documents. I looked at it to remind myself of what documents could be designated. It states:"““The Secretary of State may by order designate a description of documents for the purposes of this Act””." The clause sounds very restrictive, as it says,"““The only documents that may be the subject of an order””," are those that a person has a power or duty to issue. I shall not read the whole of the clause as that is unnecessary. Any document issued by any government department for any purpose whatever may be designated. Then all the powers of sharing information under Clause 9 may be shared with anyone who has anything to do with it. In consequence, there is absolutely no limitation whatever on the purposes for which the national register may be used in any of the major functions and the most detailed interstices of government. I am certain that that is exactly what the Government intend. I am sure that the instructions to parliamentary draftsmen must have made it clear that the Secretary of State must be able to provide information to anyone in any part of government for any purpose whatever. If the noble Baroness believes I have got it wrong she will no doubt explain why.