Clause 1 - The National Identity Register
Identity Cards Bill
4:30 pm
Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)
It is not, because, with respect, the amendment is unduly specific. In one interpretation, it could mean that many matters deemed to be in the interests of national security, which are not part of any stage of the process of the commission or execution of a terrorist act, would remain outside the scope of public interest as defined in the Bill, precisely because they would have no direct and germane link to terrorism. The Bill must contain plenty of areas that are captured by the broader element of national security, but that are not specific to terrorism as configured in the Bill.