Identity of controversial card is unveiled

THE new identity card was unveiled yesterday by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary.

It is blue and pink, the size of a credit card and carries the royal crest and four flowers representing the nations of the UK: the thistle, the rose, the daffodil and the shamrock.

The cards, which will be issued to foreign workers from November, will display the individual's name, his or her photograph, the card's expiry date and how long the person can stay and work in the country.

On the back it will show date and place of birth, gender, nationality and whether the person is entitled to benefits. Biometric data, including the person's fingerprints, will be stored on a security chip.

Ms Smith said the cards would protect against identity fraud and illegal working, and would help people to prove their identity easily.

She said: "Many people want securely and quickly to be able to prove their identity and want to be able to check people are who they say they are."

Between 50,000 and 60,000 cards will be issued by the end of next March, and ministers predict a million a year will be issued from 2010.

The cards will be compulsory for foreign workers, who will have their fingerprints and photographs taken at six ID card centres – in Glasgow, Croydon, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham and Cardiff – when they renew their visas.

The first phase of the scheme will also target people suspected of abusing the immigration system, such as foreign students and people claiming a right to stay through marriage. Workers at sensitive sites, such as airports, will be issued cards next year.

In a pilot scheme in Croydon, 12,000 people had their biometric data collected. There had been fears about worn fingerprints among older people, but the Home Office said there was nobody who could not have some data taken.

The cards will cost no more than £30 when made available to British citizens in 2011.