Minutes released in relation to the CIP show that the NIR will
be used in conjunction with the Census and could check that
citizens are eligible to vote at elections. Data from the NIR will
also be shared with many public authorities so they can update
their databases without the consent of the cardholder. Other
changes also envisage the storage of medical records as part of the
NIR.
When these plans are put into
effect, personal data from the NIR will be used for purposes
unconnected with crime, terrorism, illegal employment and
immigration – the
only purposes mentioned by
Labour in its manifesto prepared for the 2005 General
Election. The manifesto is important as the ID Card Act passed its
Parliamentary stages in March after a dispute between the House of
Commons and Lords over its wording.
Minutes of meetings
available on the CIP's website (7-page / 22KB PDF) show
that the Home Office:
- "has responsibility for delivering an adult population register
that enables basic contact data held on NIR to be downloaded to
other public sector stakeholders" (The "Treasury and Cabinet Office
should ensure that NIR delivers CIP functionality as
planned");
- "takes responsibility for ensuring from around 2021 basic
contact data held by stakeholders can be up-loaded to the
NIR";
- "should design the take-up profile of the NIR to be such that
population statistics can be realised for the 2021 census".
The
CIP's final report (29-page / 404KB PDF) states, at page
17, that secondary legislation will allow "public services to be
provided with NIR data without the need to obtain specific citizen
consent".
This wide ranging access to NIR data without consent of the
citizen is a change from the explanations given to Parliament when
it considered the ID Card legislation. On 5th October,
MPs were told by Parliamentary under secretary Andy Burnham
that: "Direct access to information held on the National Identity
Register by anyone outside those responsible for administering the
scheme will not be possible, only requests for information can be
made by third parties. In the vast majority of cases, verification
of information on the Register will only be possible with the
person's consent". In October 2005, the Home Secretary reinforced
this message and
told the House of Commons: "What the Bill allows is for
information to be provided from the register either with the
consent of the individual or without that consent in strictly
limited circumstances in accordance with the law of the land".
On the 10th January 2005, the CIP wrote to the Office of the
Deputy Prime Minister saying that: "The ID Card would seem to
provide a logical way to confirm the identity and eligibility to
vote in the longer term" and that the Electoral Register holds the
same information on the NIR and that "there would seem scope here
for collaboration between the two systems". On 13th February 2006,
the Government stated: "There is currently no proposal for
these specifications to provide for two-way data-sharing with the
proposed identity cards register".
The CIP final report provides examples of how NIR data could be
used:
- "DWP targeting the 300,000 eligible citizens not currently
claiming pensions";
- Taxation authorities "contacting employees required to complete
self assessment";
- Managing passport application peaks by getting customers to
apply early;
- Department for Education and Skills "tracing children at risk
via their guardians addresses";
- "Local councils collecting debt from citizens who have moved to
another authority";
- "NHS targeting specific citizen groups for screening
campaigns"; and
- "reducing the overall administrative burden on bereaved
people"
The
Sunday Times reported on 23rd April that Ministers are
considering whether or not to enter health personal details as part
of the ID Card holder's details in the NIR. The newspaper reports
that: "the Home Office wants cardholders to put personal health
information on the cards to give doctors information for
emergencies. Card-holders will also be urged to volunteer details
of blood group, allergies, and whether they wish to donate
organs".
Although the storage of these medical details will require the
consent of the cardholder, the step changes the position as stated
during the passage of the ID Cards Bill. In the House of Lords,
Baroness Scotland of Asthal told Peers on 30th January 2006
that it is clear that the register will not contain health records
as "any addition to the list of information in Schedule 1 [the part
of the ID Card legislation which describes the content of the NIR]
would have to be consistent with the statutory purposes, which in
effect rules out any possibility of adding, for example, medical or
criminal records."
The CIP Minutes also show that a draft of the April 18th
announcement was prepared for release nine months earlier. The
Minutes state: "The Board noted that the timing of the CIP
announcement needed to be considered against the ID Cards
programme".
