NO2ID

Monday 1/2/10

HmOff, Borders Personal Records [1 February 2010] Column 79W
- passengers in/out of UK, what percentage checked in/outbound [306313], approx 100 million (45-50pct) checked p.a., table for total passengers 2004-2009 given, full passenger stats at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatable ... ions/tsgb/

HmOff, DNA Databases [1 February 2010] Column 81W
- samples on db not linked to a personal profile [313455], resp. assumes crime scene samples not matched, total 354,132 crime scene profiles, 144,522 not matched to subject profile
[ NB very much not the same thing as 'unsolved crimes' ]

HmOff, National Identity Register [1 February 2010] Column 91W
- if personal details removed from NIR on death or non-renewal [312174], 'for as long as necessary, where consistent with the Act', e.g. date of death "to help prevent an individual's identity being stolen after death"
[ And presumably also to prevent zombies from collecting parcels, getting into bars etc ]


Lords 1/2/10

National Identity Register [01 February 2010] Column WA9
- how many applies for/received cards [HL1464], 20/10/09-23/1/10 "over 4300" enrolled and/or made appointment, "over 3000" now have been issued cards

Tuesday 2/2/10

HmOff, DNA Databases [2 February 2010] Column 197W
- samples not loaded onto DB [312639], estimated 441,344 samples, reasoning etc given
- typos etc on names wrt profiles [312640], details given, very few

DBIS, Data Protection EC Law [2 February 2010] Column 279W
- discussions wrt E-privacy Directive 2002/58/EC [314694], 'results of negotiations' [ "results"? Erm, you mean "a whole new directive" ] published in OJEU 18/12/09, transposition due by 25/5/11, stakeholder consultations to be this year
[ after tedious rummage: see 'Page 11' link from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri= ... OM:EN:HTML to Directive 2009/136/EC which as usual refers to half a dozen other directives each of which probably do the same so I must confess to having no clear idea yet as to what it actually does. 21 pages and amends one or more other directives and regulations as well, good luck with the decryption ]


Lords 2/2/10

State Pension Credit (Disclosure of Information) (Electricity Suppliers) Regulations 2010 [02 February 2010] Column 116
[ approved, links to committee discussion, or at least it would if the link wasn't broken, try grand committee discussion 26/1/10 ]

Passports [02 February 2010]
- why the two applications were refused [HL1474], odd behaviour at interview, subsequent investigation showed one not eligible, one already had passports under different name

Wednesday 3/2/10

HmOff, DNA Databases [3 February 2010] Column 344W
- what source for stats used on floor of House in recent debate [313693], "... statistics were provided by the National Policing Improvement Agency based on their analysis of data drawn from the Police National Computer by the ACPO Criminal Records Office"
[ I thought there was only one criminal records office? Or has there been a re-branding exercise? ]

HmOff, Telecommunications Databases [3 February 2010] Column 350W
- est. cost of IMP [314772], 'up to 2bn over 10 years'

Thursday 4/2/10

HmOff, Departmental Disclosure of Information [4 February 2010] Column 462W
- what information sold on a commercial basis [313227]
Meg Hillier: [...] Of the agencies for which the Home Office is responsible, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) provides criminal record information to private companies and other organisations for the purposes of pre-employment checks under Part V of the Police Act 1997. A fee is payable to cover the cost of this service, as provided for in the Act.
In addition, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) provides a call centre service to accredited private sector organisations to check the validity of passports presented to their business as evidence of identity. IPS does not sell personal data to the organisations; it merely confirms the validity of passport information provided by the organisation.
The IPS also provides access to passport records to accredited public sector organisations for the purposes of confirming identity, nationality and/or the validation of a British passport. IPS charges organisations in order to recover the costs incurred in providing these services.
[ the skipped bit is the same as most other departments - general/public info free under PSI click-use licence ]

DBIS, Identity and Passport Service [4 February 2010] Column 515W
- if Cabinet Office MISC33 committee has discussed IPS procurement [315510], 'we do not comment' etc


Lords 4/2/10

Education National Pupil Database [04 February 2010] Column WA63
- security breaches [HL1433], none
- who will have access, how many, what use of information [HL1434], total of seven people for analytical work, plus 'prescribed persons' defined by the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) Regulations 2009, service performance monitoring
- archiving after pupil leaves school [HL1435], currently being developed as part of gaining accreditation to ISO 27001

Friday 5/2/10

HmOff, Borders Personal Records [5 February 2010] Column 574W

- on passenger name checks on travellers into/through/out of UK [312898], expected maximum of 100m by end of December 2013, approx 40pct of all movements

- e-borders and automated Authority To Carry [312899], not part of e-borders contract, UKBA has option to include but separate funding required

- progress of manual ATC capabilities [313295], proof of concept trial completed, under evaluation

Monday 8/2/10 - 1 of 3

Debates, HmOff Qs, Identity Fraud [8 Feb 2010] Column 613
A couple of questions, one interesting response from Hillier which I would dispute for being irrelevant (rather than necessarily wrong) : "... In Germany and Belgium, ID cards are often used as a way of proving age online, and that in itself can help to prevent certain fraudulent transactions. Proving identity online can be a way of helping to tackle identity fraud in that area."
[ primarily because I am aware of nothing in the UK scheme that would be of much usefulness online ]

Debates, HmOff Qs, Under-age Drinking [8 Feb 2010] Column: 616
Amongst others, "... The legal requirement on those selling alcohol to seek age verification is an important element of the mandatory code that will come into effect later this year."
[ I seem to recall reading some time ago in an ID Strategy Plan or somesuch about "creating a demand" for the cards... ]

Monday 8/2/10 - 2 of 3

Debates, HmOff Qs, Topical Questions [8 Feb 2010] Column: 618
Response to the opening 'responsibilities question [315854]:
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Alan Johnson): In keeping with my departmental responsibilities, I am pleased to announce that, from today, young people aged 16 to 24 who live in Greater London can enrol for a national identity card. Our call centre is taking hundreds of calls a day from members of the public who are keen to get a card, and thousands of application packs have already been requested since the cards were officially launched in November 2009.

[ this next question quoted in full due to its uninformed wrongness wrt 'all the information' ]
Martin Linton(Battersea) (Lab): My right hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I am applying for an ID card. I want to know the practical effect of abolishing the national identity register. Surely all the information that I must give to get an ID card-my name, address and date and place of birth-has already been given in my passport application. Will not the abolition of one database while the other is left in place make absolutely no difference? [315857]
Alan Johnson: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is one thing for the Conservatives to oppose the ID cards that they supported on Second Reading in December 2004 and that the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) also privately supported in a ten-minute Bill in 2002-it is one thing for them suddenly to flip-flop on that-but it is another thing completely for them to say that one can have a biometric passport, which they support, without a national identity register. That is complete and utter nonsense.
[ my understanding is that the 'absolutely right' need only apply to the actual question rather than any of the introductory flannel ]

- e-borders and having to file details for internal UK travel (mainland to Northern Ireland) [315862], question unanswered, 'we continue to look at the matter'

Monday 8/2/10 - 3 of 3

HmOff, Identity Cards Greater London [8 February 2010] Column 752W
- estimate of likely level of take-up of cards [315027], "We have made no estimates ..."
[ i.e. "we would be doing this even if the answer was zero", la la la etc ]

HmOff, National Identity Register Scotland [8 February 2010] Column 752W
- how many checks against NIR by various Scottish agencies [315629], "Since the launch of the National Identity Service for British citizens in November 2009, there have yet to be any [...]"

HmOff, Passports Interviews [8 February 2010] Column 752W
- how many interviews resulted in refusal of passport [313501], 2 (two) in 2009, but [ clutches anti-rhino talisman* ] "In addition to the two instances of confirmed fraud applications have also been withdrawn when customers are advised that an identity interview is required. From September 2007 to June 2009 which is the latest information available, 1,816 applications were withdrawn at this stage. Together this information underlines the usefulness of the interview as a deterrent to those attempting to make a fraudulent passport application."
[ * the one which clearly works since there are no rhinos in my garden ]

HmOff, Vetting Fees and Charges [8 February 2010] Column 757W
- how much paid to CRB and ISA, last 10 years [309719], table given for CRB since they collect fees on behalf of ISA for the VBS

CabOff, Census [8 February 2010] Column 790W
A stack of questions on the upcoming census, many relevant (data protection, privacy impact assessments etc), some not.

CabOff, Government Departments ICT [8 February 2010] Column 803W
- estimated value of central government contracts [312266], not held centrally but some info available from Transformational Government annual reports, see www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transforma ... nment.aspx
[ general IT contracts questions not normally included here but it is quite rare that TG gets a mention in answers ]

Indeed: http://forum.no2id.net/viewtopic.php?t=28434

Tuesday 9/2/10

HmOff, DNA Databases [9 February 2010] Column 908W
- proportion of prison population on DNA db [313454], info not available but "there are good reasons for believing that a significant majority of the prison population has a profile on the NDNAD", explanation given
- number on DNA db with no conviction [315672], "[...] estimated 4,587,430 persons on the NDNAD, of whom 79 per cent. (an estimated 3,601,245 persons) had a current conviction, caution, formal warning or reprimand recorded on the PNC. The remaining 21 per cent. (an estimated 986,185 persons) includes those people who have been convicted and have had their records deleted, those against whom proceedings are still ongoing, and those who have never been convicted."

HmOff, Fraud [9 February 2010] Column 909W
- how many counterfeit passports, driving licences, ID cards confiscated [314773], 91 UK passports since 2000, 490 photocard licences since 2006 (lots that year, no figures for previous years), no ID cards
[ as per previous remark on these passport figures, hardly what one would call supporting evidence wrt 'second class document' assertions of the need for fingerprints ]

HmOff, Passports Concessions [9 February 2010] Column 910W
- on free passports for over-80s [316013], no plans to extend scheme, response noteworthy due to the gratuitous sales pitch:
"However, we have now started to issue identity cards to British citizens that are valid for travel in Europe at a fee of £30 compared to the passport fee of £77.50.
Currently identity cards are available to anyone resident in the United Kingdom who holds a valid or recently expired passport and has registered an interest on the Identity and Passport Service website at: https://info.ips.gov.uk/ipscw/reg or does so before 30 June 2010. It is intended that by 2012 that anyone applying for a passport will be offered the choice of being issued with an identity card or passport or both documents."
[ so no choice before 2012 then...? ]

It will be interesting to see what happens to the price of ID cards "by 2012". Most of the cost is associated with the new databases and other common infrastructure (and Ministers go even further and claim it is associated just with passports), so what will the three options cost? My guess would be something like: card-only £80, passport-only £90, both £100, with similar prices for renewals.

That would make anyone signing up for a "cheap to lose and replace £30 ID card" feel pretty foolish every 10 years.

Why? They would have only paid £30 for their first one, not £90. I think I remember hearing Meg somewhere on iPlayer saying you didn't have to get another one after 10 years if you didn't want one. Of course, you stay on the database though....

Wednesday 10/2/10

HmOff, National Identity Register [10 February 2010] Column 1057W
- publication of first annual report from Scheme Commissioner [312172], "The Identity Commissioner has sent the Home Secretary a copy of his first annual report. The Home Secretary will lay the report before Parliament before the end of the month, after the practical arrangements for its publication have been made."

HmOff, Passports [10 February 2010] Column 1057W
- passport applications per year, adult, child [316174]
.............Adult..............Child
2005.....4,559,018.......1,980,273
2006.....4,608,362.......1,840,470
2007.....4,340,668.......1,672,091
2008.....3,818,363.......1,601,291
2009.....3,611,607.......1,592,623

I'd need to double-check exactly what she said, but if those were her words I'm not sure she's allowed to say that as the law says something about a card *must* be issued...?

As usual Dr W's memory is good (my emphasis below):

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060015_en_1#pb2-l1g6

Correct in every detail.

However, in November 2009 the Home Office issued its Code of Practice on penalties for people who break this law requiring them to have an ID card and keep their details on the NIR up to date.

http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/files/ips/liv ... _FINAL.pdf

The code (dated September 2009), says, amongst other things:


However, buried within this 23-page document, which is entirely devoted to setting out in gory detail how the Home Office will repeatedly punish you until you knuckle under and cooperate with its registration scheme, is this single sentence:


So, despite it being completely illegal under the Identity Cards Act 2006, the Home Office has given itself a one-sentence get-out clause saying it won't issue ID cards to some people on the NIR, nor force them to comply with their legal obligations to notify changes of address etc.

It looks as though this single, non-binding, non-legally-enforceable sentence (which contradicts both the Identity Cards Act and the entire rest of the document in which it appears) has been placed there so that Meg Hillier can say "you can hand back your ID card if you want to" without technically lying.

Regardless of this, the law remains the same; the Home Office is legally entitled to punish anyone who doesn't keep their NIR entry up to date (or has an NIR entry but no ID card) with repeated £1000 civil penalties.

Thanks for clarifying that - I wonder what a court would do if faced with this - someone hands back their card on the basis of ministerial assertions and the 'not normally' bit, gets a penalty notice and objects. The penalty would presumably have to stand but there might be a requirement to publish a retraction of the assertion and a revision of the code of practice...? On the basis that it's a civil penalty so presumably (I don't know how these things work) a civil action may be brought?

I note that and I think it does not necessarily need to be a standalone SI to remove the word "not" from item 2.16 in the code of practice. If this is the case, it could easily be dropped into any of the thousands of immigration regulation changes that are bunged through the SI laundry on a regular basis, possibly not difficult given the similar naming of the various cards.
If spotted, "just a typo, honest".

There's a whole stack of questions for Monday 22/2/10 (in progress as time permits) but these include an interesting (but futile) set in the Lords. Specifically a set of questions asking about individual government ministers and whether they and their understudies have ID cards.

e.g.
Unfortunately these were all answered by not-the-minister-concerned, and therefore got not-a-lot.

Looks like anyone wanting to know this stuff will have to ask each individual directly so it looks like the Lords can't do that except in debates (written questions are all to 'HM Government') and the chances are that everyone has their lines memorised as to why they won't answer so the Commons might not have much luck either.

Though I have no idea how this may or may not relate to the IPS and/or Home Office putting out press releases with the details of the various 'first' volunteers.

Monday 22/2/10 - 1 of 3

Debates, DFCA Urgent Question, British Passports (Dubai) [22 Feb 2010] Column 22
... and discussion thereof, much/most/all of which probably out of date by now

DfT, Aviation Security [22 February 2010] Column 176W
- several - in short : no scan no travel, and will be 'widespread'

HmOff, Borders Personal Records [22 February 2010] Column 333W
- passenger movements tracked, last few years [306316], tables given with monthy figures for 2007/2008/2009
- consultation on Authority To Carry [312911], 'committed to consultation', 'no date set', manual capability in 2011

HmOff, DNA Databases [22 February 2010] Column 349W
- how many with pre-database convictions have provided samples [313456], est. 2,312,289
- how many under 16/18/21 on db [317152], table given
- ethnic breakdown [317153], table given

HmOff, Passports [22 February 2010] Column 373W
- effect on expenditure wrt fingerprint passports [310383], "It is intended that passports incorporating fingerprints will be introduced from 2012 onwards and applicants for such passports will be enrolled on the National Identity Register. From that point, common business processes and technology infrastructure will be used to register applicants on the National Identity Register and issue them with an identity card and/or a passport."
[ Erm. And what about the requirement to issue an ID card which means the 'and/or' might be a bit misleading...? ]

HmOff, Passports Fees and Charges [22 February 2010] Column 373W
- passport fee structures [316079], UK-issued price set by IPS, foreign-issued price set by the FCO [ DFCA, shurely? ]
- on plans to increase prices [316171], 2010 fee review not yet complete

HmOff, Passports Lost Property [22 February 2010] Column 374W
- passports lost in delivery [316794], Nov'07-Sept'09 1,135 lost in delivery, of which 115 stolen from courier, 16 misplaced

Monday 22/2/10 - 2 of 3

HmOff, Police National Computer [22 February 2010] Column 378W
- guidance for removing PNC records after DNA removal [317148], 'no such guidance', and 'it is for individual chief police officers to use their discretion'
- how many removed from PNC [317149], info not available

HmOff, UK Border Agency Contracts [22 February 2010] Column 385W
- recipients of contracts valued over 2 million [317244], list given

Statements, HmOff, Fraudulent Use of Passports (Investigation) [22 Feb 2010] Column 1WS
- investigation under way, listed passports (at this stage) issued between September 2001 and January 2006, i.e. pre-biometric

Statements, HmOff, UK Border Agency Strategy [22 Feb 2010] Column 2WS
- "Protecting our Border, Protecting the Public" with of course references to e-borders

Monday 22/2/10 - 3 of 3

Lords 22/2/10

Passports Mahmoud al-Mabhouh [22 February 2010] Column 827
... and Lords discussion thereof, much of which probably out of date by now

National Identity Register [22 February 2010] Column WA235
- for each Minister: "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether [Minister] has a National Identity Card; and, if so, on what date he/she was enrolled on the National Identity Register."
[HL1496], [HL1497], [HL1498], [HL1499], [HL1500], [HL1698], [HL1699], [HL1700], [HL1701], [HL1702], [HL1703], [HL1713], [HL1714], [HL1715], [HL1716], [HL1717], [HL1718]
all being given the reply:
"The Identity & Passport Service holds in confidence on the National Identity Register personal information about who has been issued with an identity card. Under Section 27 of the Identity Cards Act, it is not permissible for the Home Office to disclose or verify information from any individual's record on the National Identity Register in this manner.
Section 27 of the Identity Cards Act only permits disclosure or verification of such information in certain circumstances, for example to an organisation that is prescribed under Sections 17-20 of the Act, or one that is approved under Section 12 of the Act and has obtained the individual's consent to obtain that information."

Passports [22 February 2010] Column WA241
- given only two rejections, plans to continue interviews [HL1473], yes, and in addition to 2 failed interviews, 1816 allegedly withdrew applications when informed an interview was required
- how many passports reported lost/stolen, last 12 years [HL1875], table given, figures only available since 2004, averages approx 230k lost, 40k stolen, 10k 'other'
[ seems like a lot of careless people, and guessing that 'other' may relate to dog-eared-ness after multiple nights on the town ]

Tuesday 23/2/10

DWP, National Identity Fraud Unit Manpower [23 February 2010] Column 461W
- staffing levels in offices of NIFU [313256], tables given, no available data prior to April 2006


Lords 23/2/10

A discussion of several RIPA orders Column 928, including in particular Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) Order 2010 [23 February 2010]

Wednesday 24/2/10

HmOff, Vetting Compensation [24 February 2010] Column 562W
- how much paid by CRB in compensation for maladministration [317218], table given, significant increase in last two years


Lords 24/2/10

National Identity Register [24 February 2010] Column WA306
- same formula of 'which minister has a card' as previously [HL1774], [HL1775], [HL1776], [HL1777], [HL1778], [HL1779], no surprise in gettingan 'I refer' response to the previous refusal to answer

Travel Fraudulent Documents [24 February 2010] Column WA310
- arrests/convictions wrt travelling under fraudulent documents [HL1908], see immigration stats table 3.4 at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2008" scarily-detailed table on p.72-73 with lots of small text which if the rest of the answer is anything to go by, may or may not answer the question.

Thursday 25/2/10

DfCSF, Vetting Local Education Authorities [25 February 2010] Column 694W
- whether councillors needing to register under VBS also need CRB checks [309547], no guidance issued, depends on the post
[ I thought registering with the ISA VBS included a CRB check anyway...? ]

HmOff, Identity Cards [25 February 2010] Column 708W
- estimate of revenue generated by replacing lost/stolen cards and numbers thereof [318114], "The Identity and Passport Service is not forecasting any material volumes or income in relation to lost or stolen cards."
[ have they bothered to try and forecast *anything*? ]

HmOff, Identity Cards Young People [25 February 2010] Column 708W
- how many 16-24 year-olds had registered interest [317243], 2662 (via website) by 1/1/10

HmOff, National Identity Register [25 February 2010] Column 708W
- how long after death are records removed [318320], 'retained as long as necessary'

HmOff, Vetting [25 February 2010] Column 712W
- number of people required to register in first 12 months [318319], approx 1,770,000 from July 2010 to 30/6/11

Statements, HmOff, Identity Commissioner [25 Feb 2010] Column 77WS
"The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Alan Johnson): We successfully launched the National Identity Service in Manchester on 30 November. So far over 5,000 people have been issued with identity cards and the number is continually growing. These people are already starting to see the advantages of having an identity card - using it to prove and protect their identity and for travel to Europe.
[...]"
[ copies of report available from the Identity Commissioner's website ]


Lords 25/2/10

Travel Fraudulent Documents [25 February 2010] Column WA315
- estimate of how many in circulation in UK [HL1909], 'no point guessing'

Friday 26/2/10

HmOff, National Identity Register [26 February 2010] Column 828W
- what authorities can be given info from NIR without person's consent [318116], see Identity Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent) Regulations 2009, and the Identity Cards Act 2006 (Information and Code of Practice on Penalties) Order 2009

Statements, HmOff, NHS Debtors (Immigration Rules) [26 Feb 2010] Column 88WS
[ not sure if this is still relevant these days - is 'health tourism' still on the list of magic that the ID system will do? ]