(2) when his Department first submitted a cost estimate of the identity cards scheme to HM Treasury; and what that cost estimate was.
My Department has and will continue to maintain close contact with HM Treasury in relation to the estimates of expenditure on the National Identity Scheme.
Initial cost estimates for a card scheme were published in July 2002 in the consultation paper “Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud” (CM5557)
Revised cost estimates have been published from time-to-time, for example, when the Identity Cards Bill was introduced to Parliament. During the passage of that legislation, the Government agreed to lay a report before Parliament every six months, which sets out the estimated cost of the National Identity Scheme for the coming 10 years.
The National Identity Scheme is being built around plans first to issue biometric passports incorporating; fingerprints which many countries will be implementing in 2009; and second, to issue biometric visas and immigration documents to foreign nationals. The procurement projects will therefore in the main deliver generic facilities covering, for example, the recording and storage of biometric information for passport and immigration purposes as well as ID cards.
As with any major project or programme, cost estimates will continue to be revised as it reaches key stages in its development, such as commencing procurement, signing contracts with suppliers and the commencement of live operations.