Clause 4 - Designation of documents for purposes of registration etc.
Identity Cards Bill
11:45 am
Edward Garnier (Shadow Minister, (Assisted By Shadow Law Officers); Harborough, Conservative)
I have a great deal of sympathy with the comments made by the hon. Member for Stroud. We need to know more about what is intended by schedule 1 and by the sorts of documents that are to be designated, either under the royal prerogative or under some enactment by virtue of clause 4. My concern is that we are legislating in ignorance. Having heard the Minister, what concerns me even more is that he is bringing forward a Bill without any real idea about the sorts of documents that he will ask us in due course, under the statutory instrument and the order-making powers, to designate.
I will not divide the Committee, but in exchange for not doing so, I urge the Minister to provide us with a public list of the sort of documents involved between now and consideration on Report, although I do not expect him to say social security document A, B, C and D, fishing licence, driving licence and so on. That would give us a general idea of what he thinks he is doing. Knowing the Minister as I do, I suspect that he is not entirely happy with the way in which the clause is crafted. I think he would like to help us a lot more than he is able to do at the moment. The summer recess will intervene. I suspect that by October he will find it within his powers and grace to return to us on Report with a slightly fuller picture of what the Government hope to do under clause 4. I know that he wants to help the House to do its best with this legislation. I will leave things there, in the strong and happy knowledge that come October he will have a little list. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill.