Q&A: Keith Vaz

Published on Monday 9 June 2008 22:08

The chairman of the House of Commons home affairs committee discusses the body's warning that national identity cards could be used to mount surveillance operations on members of the public.

How concerned is the committee about the possibility of identity theft as a result of the compulsory scheme?

We heard from the Information Commissioner about the practical harm that this kind of theft can do in people's lives. We were concerned that the government should take every possible step to limit to the minimum the information that it collected, and to put in place robust measures to protect that information in order to minimise the risk of theft.

How much confidence is there that information stored on the national identity register will be safe from abuse?

We have called on the government to give assurances that it is ensuring that security measures are prioritised in the design of the register and that it has made appropriate contingency plans in the event of security breaches. The committee has also urged the government to ensure only those with a clear need for access to information are granted that access.

What should the government do to ensure personal details stored on the identity cards database will not fall into the wrong hands?

We recommended that the government should use all technical means to protect personal information but also that it should make sure its policies on access and information-handling are carefully planned and monitored.

Were you satisfied with the media's coverage of the report?

My impression is that the coverage has helped the committee to contribute to this debate.