Authorities in the dark over level of ID card fraud

But overall the ID scheme is being administered securely and effectively, says Identity Commissioner

It is impossible to tell whether identity cards have been obtained fraudulently, according to the first report by the Office of the Identity Commissioner.

Identity Commissioner Sir Joseph Pilling was appointed to oversee the government's ₤5.4bn National Identity Scheme and issued his first update today.

Although widely supportive of the way the scheme is being introduced by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), Pilling's report says: "By definition it will always be impossible to know how many cards have been obtained fraudulently. At this very early stage when the number might well be none, it is not even possible to make an informed guess."

Pilling's report acknowledges the culture of security within the IPS and says that the National Identity Register – the database of everyone who has a card – appears to be secure and well managed.

The report says: "More than in most places staff understand why security needs to be taken seriously rather than it being regarded as an irritating obstacle to getting the real work done."

Decisions to share information from the database are made thoughtfully and at a senior level, he adds.

Pilling notes that identity cards are already being used to cross borders within the EU and to prove identity within the UK but that low levels of awareness could hinder their effectiveness – there have been at least two cases where identity cards were not accepted for travel purposes.

Perhaps mindful of the government's poor track record in delivering large-scale IT projects the Pilling report notes that "the senior team has the right background for the effective management of large-scale IT procurement."

Pilling acknowledges the political uncertainty around the scheme – the Conservatives have promised to abolish it should they win a general election this summer – but says that he will carry out his role with commitment until the law changes.