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Identity Cards Bill

That is my understanding of the Bill, and I would not support it if I thought that it was a device to give the police powers to stop people in the street and ask them for their ID cards. From the very beginning of this debate four or five years ago, it was made clear in the Government White Paper and the consultation document that the Government did not want to consult on—indeed, they did not even countenance—the introduction of an ID card that people must carry at all times. Some European countries require the carrying of ID cards, but that option was excluded from the start. I do not believe that the police should be able to stop people and ask them for details of biometrics or anything else for which they cannot already ask.