International Law

Manchester area post codes where the foolish can apply for an ID Card

The junior Home Office Minister Meg Hillier, who is at least as out of her depth about ID Cards and databases as her predecessors, has now signed the Statutory Instrument which kicks off a dubious small scale version of the National Identity Register, coming into force on the 30th November 2009, several years late.

Statutory Instruments 2009 No. 3032 (C. 132) - Identity Cards - The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2009

Instead of limiting this test area scheme to just Manchester, as promised, the Home Office have sneaked in the whole of Greater Manchester and some of the surrounding Post Codes as well:

They have also broadened the potential catchment area, by including not just permanent residents, but anyone who works at premises within the designated Post Codes as well.

However you will already have to have a Passport in order to apply for an ID Card, so what exactly is the incentive for doing so ?

Remember also, that once you have been registered on the National Identity Register , your biometrics and other personal data will never be removed, for the rest of your life (and beyond), even if you decide not to renew your ID Card.

You will also be risking fines of up to £2500 if you fail to to keep the National Identity Register updated with all of your addresse.

You will be blamed (not the Home Office or any of their sub-contractors) for any malfunctions in
the card or reader electronics etc.

Only the people working airside at Manchester Airport and at the City of London Airport will have the £30 registration fee waived.

All the Home Office and Identity and Passport Service employees or sub-contractors on Greater London, the City of London and the Inns of Court can also apply for an ID Card, but they will still have to pay for it.

Anybody stupid enough to be working directly or indirectly, on or with the National Identity Scheme computer and telecommunications infrastructure, also risks up to 10 years in prison and / or an unlimited fine, if they decide to go on strike or "work to rule", in pursuit of an an industrial dispute. They also risk these criminal penalties for accidental software or hardware errors or misconfigurations etc. beyond their personal control

See previous Spy Blog articles e.g. 5 more National Identity Scheme Statutory Instruments - do Thales Group and 3M Company employees realise that they face up to 10 years in prison for any mistakes or strikes?

Here are the Manchester area Post Codes where the wretched National Identity Scheme is being first inflicted on:

Full post as published by Spy Blog on November 19, 2009 (boomark / email).