ID cards are of 'limited value'

12.54.46pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 30th Jan 2006

ID cards would be of "limited value" against terror and would not have prevented the London attacks in July, says the reviewer of anti-terror laws. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Carlile said he had changed his mind on identity cards, which he had previously backed.

"I can't think of many terrorist incidents, in fact I can think of very few... that ID cards would have brought to an earlier end," he told GMTV on Sunday.

The bill introducing the ID cards plan is currently going through Parliament. It recently suffered two defeats in the Lords, with peers wanting an entirely voluntary scheme, and ministers wanting people applying for new passports and driving licences to be obliged to go on the ID card register.

"ID cards could be of some value in the fight against terrorism but they are probably of quite limited value," Lord Carlile told GMTV's Sunday programme. "I certainly don't think the absence of ID cards could possibly have any connection with the events of last July.

Experts say the ID card scheme would cost over £14 billion to introduce.