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Identity Cards Bill

moved Amendment No. 52G:"Page 7, line 31, leave out ““issuing it”” and insert ““to whom it is issued””" The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the amendment would replace the wording in subsection (3)(d) so that the text would read: ““An ID card issued to an individual . . . remains the property of the person to whom it is issued””. The reasoning behind the amendment is twofold. First, it is to probe exactly to whom the Bill refers. Will it mean the Secretary of State or the head of the designated document authority, which may vary depending on which document it is—for passports, the passport office; for drivers licences, the DVLA; and so on? Secondly, and more importantly, it is to safeguard against the withdrawal of a card by the state. As ever, the role of this House is to scrutinise legislation to uphold the British constitution. Legislation such as this raises difficult questions of civil liberties versus national security. However, we must always remember that what we put in place now will be used by future governments. There is never a guarantee that a different government will use the powers in the way envisaged today or that we are assured that they will be used today. Making the card the property of the individual whose data it contains will help protect against future misuse by an unscrupulous state apparatus, should it occur. I beg to move.