Home Department written question – answered at on 20 July 2005.
Harry Cohen
Labour, Leyton and Wanstead
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce an Amendment to modify the Identity Card Bill so that personal information from the national register associated with the identity card cannot be used by any public authority for the purpose of the efficient and effective delivery of public services without the consent of the identity card holder; and if he will make a statement.
Andy Burnham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government will not introduce such an Amendment. The Bill as drafted only allows information to be used without a person's consent by specified public authorities named on the face of the Bill, or others subsequently approved by Parliament. These arrangements will be subject to independent oversight.
Yes5 people think so
No1 person thinks not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
