The Home Office has since confirmed that the ID cards will be a valid "ICAO machine readable travel document". One of the requirements of the ICAO specification is that the computer chip containing the holder's personal details is readable through a contactless, RFID, mechanism. The most charitable explanation for Burnham's answer here -- i.e. the one which means he <i>doesn't</i> lie to Parliament -- is that he believes that a "[RFID] tag" (often used to mean a remotely-readable chip which carries only a unique identifying number) is materially different from the chip which will be on the ID card (which will carry name, photograph, iris photograph, etc.... and a unique identifying number).
Chris Lightfoot
Posted on 1 Feb 2006 10:53 am
The Home Office has since confirmed that the ID cards will be a valid "ICAO machine readable travel document". One of the requirements of the ICAO specification is that the computer chip containing the holder's personal details is readable through a contactless, RFID, mechanism. The most charitable explanation for Burnham's answer here -- i.e. the one which means he <i>doesn't</i> lie to Parliament -- is that he believes that a "[RFID] tag" (often used to mean a remotely-readable chip which carries only a unique identifying number) is materially different from the chip which will be on the ID card (which will carry name, photograph, iris photograph, etc.... and a unique identifying number).