while your attention was elsewhere...

...this.

The UK's identity cards scheme will cost more than £5.5bn to set up and run over the next 10 years, according to the government.

The cost of providing ePassports and ID cards to UK citizens for the period between April 2007 and April 2017 is estimated to be £5.55bn, according to the government's Identity Cards Scheme Cost Report May 2007.

At least every six months, the government is required to give parliament an estimate of the public cost likely to be incurred by the ID cards scheme over the following 10 years.

It's actually longer than six months. Apparently, the day the PM announced his retirment was the earliest date they could get the figures ready. The good people at No2ID add:

Perhaps it is worth remembering that when the scheme was first announced, as "entitlement cards", back in 2002 the cost was estimated at between £1.3 billion and £3.1 billion - over a longer period of 13 years.

Nor do we "have to do this for electronic passports". That's already been done. They have been being issued for 18 months. The only reason for the cost and inconvenience of the ID scheme is so the Home Office can keep a file on you, in case it comes in useful one day to know all about you.

Comments

[Alex]

Today's Sun front page: Strap - 7/7 Suspects Arrested (over the rafting photo), Hed: MADDY COPS HUNT 130 BRIT PAEDOS.