Clause 15 - Power to make public services conditional on identity checks
Identity Cards Bill
4:15 pm
Mr Humfrey Malins (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Woking, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 144, in clause 15, page 14, line 13, leave out paragraphs (b) and (c).
This is a quite important amendment. Clause 15 deals with powers to make services conditional on identity checks. We must be realistic and confirm what public services we are talking about. The Minister will be able to do that. I assume that he means access to the doctoremdash save for emergency treatment that must be available automatically to anybody; other medical services such as dentistry; local authority housing or education; or a variety of public services—[Interruption.].
My hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) has helpfully pointed out the benefits. It helps to know what public services we are talking about. The clause states that regulations can make it a condition that before I get those services I produce to the person who is going to provide them an ID card, other evidence of registrable facts about myself or both under subsections (1)(b) and (c), which I seek to omit. They are heavy handed. Can the Minister justify his position?
I do not know when the regulations will be introduced. I could be the sort of person who has not yet been issued with an identity card, but may be under an obligation to provide registrable facts to the Secretary of State. When I have done that, it may be some while before I am asked for an identity card.
I find this measure incongruous. I am used to being asked to produce a card for various functions, so that is not a problem for me, but I am concerned about the reference to
''other evidence of registrable facts . . . or
(c) both.''
That might create a burden on the individual. I ask the Minister to be kind enough to justify that requirement, and to explain the circumstances in which it might operate, in particular in relation to different people.