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Identity Cards Bill

The noble Lord’s amendment would authorise the provision of information not falling within paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 to the identity scheme commissioner. As I have just indicated, this amendment is unnecessary because the provision of information to the national identity scheme commissioner is already included within the Bill. Clause 24(4) places a duty on the Secretary of State’s officials to provide information to the commissioner that he may require for the carrying out of his functions. The Bill makes it clear that the duty to provide information includes information held on the register. The commissioner’s functions include review of all the Secretary of State’s functions under the scheme including making entries, maintaining the register and the provision of information from it. Noble Lords can see that the widest possible access has been given to the commissioner. That is why I was a bit perplexed. I would have thought that the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, bearing in mind the amendments that he has tabled before, would be delighted with the breadth and ambit of the authority that is to be given to the commissioner in this regard.