Separate body to control ID cards?

The Home Secretary will lose control of citizen data held on the proposed national identity register, if plans for an independent authority to run and manage the UK's ID cards scheme go ahead.

The draft legislation enabling the government to set up the scheme was published by the Home Office in April and will be open for public consultation until 20 July.

Proposals for a separate agency to take responsibility for ID cards were not included in the draft bill but are part of a consultation paper published at the same time.

And Stephen Harrison, head of the Home Office's ID cards policy unit, told a private meeting of IT suppliers last month that the final legislation, expected to be put before Parliament in October, could include powers for the Home Secretary to set up an independent body to run the scheme.

The issue was raised with the government by the Information Commission before the draft bill was published, deputy Commissioner Jonathan Bamford told Computing.

'The Information Commission's general stance is that this is a lot more than an ID cards bill - it's about building a national identity register and national identity numbers,' he said.

'Our concerns are focused on the register - what information is there, what can be done with it and so on - rather than on the piece of plastic with your smiling face on it. Originally the Information Commissioner said there needs to be independent control of the identity register,' said Bamford.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'One of the issues under consultation is the question of the various options regarding the governance structure of the scheme which may be undertaken by an external agency.'