Clause 5 - Applications relating to entries in Register
Identity Cards Bill
12:00 pm
Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)
I am not making light of the amendment. It has opened up a fair debate, but at every stage of proceedings in Committee entirely erroneous amendments are tabled that suggest ''must'' should be inserted for ''may'' or ''may'' should be inserted for ''shall'', and so on. If I were being uncharitable—which I never am—I would suggest that amendment No. 144 was a wrecking amendment. However, it is in order and on the amendment paper. It is not a wrecking amendment, but that would be the import of its acceptance. We made it clear, in the first instance, that we will introduce and implement identity cards along with a range of documents duly designated, which is what clause 4 is all about.
The hon. and learned Member for Harborough was right that this element of clause 5 is not about either the application to go on the register or the application for an ID card; it is about the application for a designated document. First and foremost, we need to ask ourselves why we have designated documents. We have done that to assist in the roll-out—if I can abuse the Committee by using that term—and implementation of the scheme. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that we make provision in clause 5 to say, ''On application from such a date for such a designated document, you will have to get an ID card as well.'' That is the premise on which the implementation is based—it is partial implementation, rather than full and compulsory implementation from day one. That is one of the key building blocks with which we seek to implement the scheme. Therefore, subsection (2) should contain no wild or stunning revelations.