A think tank has argued that local authority 'entitlement cards' could be more practical than the National Identity Card
New Local Government Network (NLGN) published a pamphlet on the subject, Local Identity: The role of local entitlement cards in public service delivery, on 17 August 2007.
It says that local cards could prove to be
cheaper, quicker and provide a better safeguard of identity than the
national scheme. It would also be more relevant to most needs as local
government provides about 80% of public services.
Victoria Barbary, author of the report, told GC News
a national framework for the cards could be adopted to provide some
consistency in their look, how they are used and the information
procedures, and likened it to the framework provided by Visa and Master
Card for companies that issue credit cards.
“It would be a light touch national
framework within which each council would have its own franchise,
benefits and uses, providing an individually tailored system,” she
said, adding that it would have to be part of a statutory requirement.
In the report she argues: “Local
entitlement cards have a number of benefits to citizens. They would
help protect against identity fraud, not only by giving local service
users an accepted form of identification, but also by ensuring
individuals retain ownership of their identity through a citizen's
account.”
“Given the investment local authorities
have devoted to improving ICT and expanding e-government, local
entitlement cards could prove more cost effective than a national
identity card scheme, and offer a sustainable standard of
identification for local public service providers who access an
organically-generated user service profile. As such, local entitlement
cards would align more accurately with the fragmentary and localised
nature of identity, giving citizens a universally accepted form of
identification that reflects their own self awareness and
individuality.”
The report points to the examples of
councils such as Bracknell Forest BC and Bolton MBC in arguing that
local cards could be used as a proof of identity and to access local
services, such as benefits, public transport and leisure facilities.
They could also enable councils to better share information between
departments and be extended to services such as NHS trusts and police
forces.
The entitlement card system could be
accessed by users in a manner similar to internet banking, allowing
service users to update their biographical footprint easily online
using an account PIN, password and/or other identifiers. People would
therefore retain ownership of their identity and ensure that it is not
altered without their consent.
Duhh, Lets get this straight. I am British, therefore I am entitled, I pay tax, therefore I am entitled, if I am out of work, I am entitled, and I don't need a bloody card to say so.and if this is to work it would have to have national coverage for those who work, travel or move, so its the same bloody thing as ID Cards. It would still require the NIR to co-ordinate it.
If this government think that by trying to pretend that localising ID Cards would make it more acceptable, then they must be on some illegal substances, its the NIR that is the dangerous element, and whatever way you want to paint it, local or national, its still an ID Card.
We must get away from this idea that government is giving me something, it is not. what it is doing is taking something away, my privacy and my unfettered right to government services.
Remember, they work for us, not the other way around.
Nulab – Destroying Britain from the inside out.
Source: Kable's Government Computing
