Amendments Nos. 98 and 102A, in my name, are grouped with this amendment. I agree entirely with what has just been said by my noble friend Lord Peyton of Yeovil. Clause 4 gives the Secretary of State the power to use statutory instruments to designate documents. If a document becomes a designated document, anyone who...

Amendments Nos. 98 and 102A, in my name, are grouped with this amendment. I agree entirely with what has just been said by my noble friend Lord Peyton of Yeovil. Clause 4 gives the Secretary of State the power to use statutory instruments to designate documents. If a document becomes a designated document, anyone who...

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, and the noble Lord, Lord Peyton, for moving these probing amendments. I need to make clear yet again that the identity card scheme is being designed as, and is intended to become, a compulsory scheme. There is therefore no stealth about it. We have been saying...

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, and the noble Lord, Lord Peyton, for moving these probing amendments. I need to make clear yet again that the identity card scheme is being designed as, and is intended to become, a compulsory scheme. There is therefore no stealth about it. We have been saying...

I do not contend against the noble Baroness on that. My argument throughout has been that the Government have said that the initial period is supposed to be voluntary. We say that that is the compulsion by stealth, because even in the initial period it will be compulsory to register for...

I do not contend against the noble Baroness on that. My argument throughout has been that the Government have said that the initial period is supposed to be voluntary. We say that that is the compulsion by stealth, because even in the initial period it will be compulsory to register for...

I understand what the noble Baroness says. However, in a system that has been designed from the outset to be compulsory—it has been said that we will introduce it in stages, but always within the context of a compulsory scheme—it is difficult to see what is stealth-like about that. It has...

I understand what the noble Baroness says. However, in a system that has been designed from the outset to be compulsory—it has been said that we will introduce it in stages, but always within the context of a compulsory scheme—it is difficult to see what is stealth-like about that. It has...

Having listened to the Minister’s response, it may be helpful if I say that I have my own reasons for not including residence permits in my probing amendment. I have no problem with the answer she gave on that. We may not like her answer, but my noble friend Lady Seccombe has just...

Having listened to the Minister’s response, it may be helpful if I say that I have my own reasons for not including residence permits in my probing amendment. I have no problem with the answer she gave on that. We may not like her answer, but my noble friend Lady Seccombe has just...

I am grateful to the Minister, but I am not quite sure what I am grateful for. I did not intend to press my amendment to a vote, as it is silly to ask to leave the words out, but the purpose of my amendment was to ask what they mean and whether it...

I am grateful to the Minister, but I am not quite sure what I am grateful for. I did not intend to press my amendment to a vote, as it is silly to ask to leave the words out, but the purpose of my amendment was to ask what they mean and whether it...

I will not answer the amendment, but in relation to the letter, we had hoped that it would go out on Friday with the others, enclosed in a merry Christmas card—what a wonderful present that would have been. I had hoped that Committee Members would have it early.

I will not answer the amendment, but in relation to the letter, we had hoped that it would go out on Friday with the others, enclosed in a merry Christmas card—what a wonderful present that would have been. I had hoped that Committee Members would have it early.

Since the noble Lord refers to me specifically, can we agree on something? Can we agree that every change of address or name—for a start—would have to be reported and that every time that happened the person would be liable to be called for an interview and to give further...

Since the noble Lord refers to me specifically, can we agree on something? Can we agree that every change of address or name—for a start—would have to be reported and that every time that happened the person would be liable to be called for an interview and to give further...

I have listened with great care to the debate and a number of useful issues have been raised as a result of it. At one point when I was listening to some of the more fervent contributions, I had a great deal of sympathy with the Committee. When legislation is drafted it is...

I have listened with great care to the debate and a number of useful issues have been raised as a result of it. At one point when I was listening to some of the more fervent contributions, I had a great deal of sympathy with the Committee. When legislation is drafted it is...

I had an opportunity of reading the letter that was circulated to us, which specifically says that the costs of the centres have been included. Therefore, the Government must know how many centres they intend to have. Will it be 70, or has it been costed on some other basis?

I had an opportunity of reading the letter that was circulated to us, which specifically says that the costs of the centres have been included. Therefore, the Government must know how many centres they intend to have. Will it be 70, or has it been costed on some other basis?

I do not think that we can agree on that. Clearly, an individual would not be called for an interview if they were advancing the information voluntarily. I am sure that they would want to do that. In practical terms, the way in which the scheme would operate will mean that people...

I do not think that we can agree on that. Clearly, an individual would not be called for an interview if they were advancing the information voluntarily. I am sure that they would want to do that. In practical terms, the way in which the scheme would operate will mean that people...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, but can I put him right? He talked of the amendments requiring something in the nature of a drop-in centre. My amendment would make for a ““reasonable”” requirement; it does not suggest a drop-in centre system at all; it simply suggests a system...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, but can I put him right? He talked of the amendments requiring something in the nature of a drop-in centre. My amendment would make for a ““reasonable”” requirement; it does not suggest a drop-in centre system at all; it simply suggests a system...

We are developing our cost models in this process as we work through it, which is why I made the reference to the Passport Service’s experience when it introduces the additional centres next year for the process of interviewing applicants for passports in line with EU commitments, and so on. The...

We are developing our cost models in this process as we work through it, which is why I made the reference to the Passport Service’s experience when it introduces the additional centres next year for the process of interviewing applicants for passports in line with EU commitments, and so on. The...

I believe that—

I believe that—

I appreciate that in the noble Lord’s mind there may not be much difference between us. However, we need to have certainty—and my argument here rests on the point that we must legislate for certainty. That is part of the reason why the Bill is phrased as it is. With the...

I appreciate that in the noble Lord’s mind there may not be much difference between us. However, we need to have certainty—and my argument here rests on the point that we must legislate for certainty. That is part of the reason why the Bill is phrased as it is. With the...

I am reluctant to give way. I have made the point before, but it is an important one. If we had an enrolment process that was unmanageable because it was excessively flexible in the sense that the noble Lord seeks, we would end up with a drop-in centre approach. That would be...

I am reluctant to give way. I have made the point before, but it is an important one. If we had an enrolment process that was unmanageable because it was excessively flexible in the sense that the noble Lord seeks, we would end up with a drop-in centre approach. That would be...

Experience in public service provision shows that people prefer an appointment system so that they can plan their time around a specific time as opposed to having to wait for an unspecified period in a waiting room. I do not know about the noble Lord, but when I go to my doctor’s...

Experience in public service provision shows that people prefer an appointment system so that they can plan their time around a specific time as opposed to having to wait for an unspecified period in a waiting room. I do not know about the noble Lord, but when I go to my doctor’s...

I have listened carefully to what the Minister has said. Of course, I agree that there must be places for this thing to happen—I have never challenged that. But there is an enormous gap between myself and the Minister, if that is the limit of his explanation. He said that we had to...

I have listened carefully to what the Minister has said. Of course, I agree that there must be places for this thing to happen—I have never challenged that. But there is an enormous gap between myself and the Minister, if that is the limit of his explanation. He said that we had to...

Perhaps the noble Lord can help me. I live in Wales at the moment. If I am thinking of being a terrorist and decide that I am going to go and live in Scotland where I can carry on my activities rather better, I could fill in a form and say that I am going to...

Perhaps the noble Lord can help me. I live in Wales at the moment. If I am thinking of being a terrorist and decide that I am going to go and live in Scotland where I can carry on my activities rather better, I could fill in a form and say that I am going to...

I have no intention of doing that. They provide the service exactly as the noble Lord describes, which is exactly what we are seeking to achieve here. We want to ensure that a system as importantly complex as this one works well; we do not want to have unpredictable workflows that...

I have no intention of doing that. They provide the service exactly as the noble Lord describes, which is exactly what we are seeking to achieve here. We want to ensure that a system as importantly complex as this one works well; we do not want to have unpredictable workflows that...