---

Identity Cards Bill

Surely the point is that it was not put to the people who were polled that the system would be compulsory. I am sure that there would be huge support for voluntary identity cards. The issue that the House of Lords and this House are having to consider is the whole issue of voluntary versus compulsory. I suspect that if those people had been asked, ““Should it be a criminal offence not to carry an identity card?”” or, ““Should it be compulsory to carry an identity card?””, the answer would have been very different.