Clause 15 - Power to make public services conditional on identity checks
Identity Cards Bill
4:15 pm
Mr David Curry (Skipton and Ripon, Conservative)
The clause begins by stating:
''Regulations may make provision allowing or requiring''.
It appears that there is a permissiveness in the legislation. People might well be required to establish their identity, but what does ''allowing'' mean in that context? Does it mean that one GP surgery might require that and another might not? With regard to certain public services—such as when someone applies for a senior citizen's railcard or a bus pass—might some local authorities require that and others might not? What are the circumstances in which there would be that discretion?
How will I know whether the person I am dealing with has the authority to demand that, on a discretionary basis? I would expect to know for which services I need to take my card. The Minister said that we will not have to carry the cards, but the Prime Minister has used the expression ''carry the cards.'' If there will be discretionary requirements, the Minister must tell us about the circumstances for that, and the framework within which that discretion might be used.
Those wonderful expressions ''may'' and ''allow'' leave a lot more room than ''must'' and ''shall require''. I would be interested to know what thoughts the Minister has in his mind.