Wouldn't scrapping the biometric passport cause a few issues with popular tourist destinations? For example, you can't enter the US without an existing machine readable passport (if issued after 2006, "Biometric", though the standards are still inconsistent).
People pay for passports. Correctly managed the system should be low-cost; I can see no reason why passport renewal every 5 years instead of every 10 would be a significant issue if it moved the system closer to self-sufficiency. Extending the full biometric data to an ID card as well (bearing in mind we already have photocard licences for driving/riding motorbikes) would mean little additional data being retained by the state yet provide a useful legal document.
I'm against the mess that Labour have historically made of such schemes, but an ID card in itself really doesn't scare me. I can see it being more useful, than damaging.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-04-14 03:20 pm (UTC)People pay for passports. Correctly managed the system should be low-cost; I can see no reason why passport renewal every 5 years instead of every 10 would be a significant issue if it moved the system closer to self-sufficiency. Extending the full biometric data to an ID card as well (bearing in mind we already have photocard licences for driving/riding motorbikes) would mean little additional data being retained by the state yet provide a useful legal document.
I'm against the mess that Labour have historically made of such schemes, but an ID card in itself really doesn't scare me. I can see it being more useful, than damaging.