To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on (a) the identity cards project in the 2006-07 financial year and (b) external consultants working on the identity cards project. (105584)

Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).

As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects.

In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was £32.7 million. The cost of external consultancy and contracted staff, attributed to these projects for that year was £21.4 million.

Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the cost to date of researching and developing the identity cards scheme. (123939)

Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, £41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.

Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).

As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was £32.7 million.

Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the second report on the cost of the identity cards scheme, how much his Department has spent in total on the scheme from its inception until 10 May 2007, broken down by (a) consultancy fees, (b) IT costs, (c) polling or opinion research and (d) other costs. (140019)

[holding answer 4 June 2007]: Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, £41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.

Of this expenditure, £31.6 million was spent on consulting and contracting services and £180,000 was spent on polling and opinion research. A further £180,000 was spent on specific IT software packages, although this figure excludes the cost of running standard hardware and software applications for desktop computers.

Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well as the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).

As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was £32.7 million.

Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.

The cost of external consultancy and contracted staff allocated to these projects for that year was £21.4 million, while IT costs allocated to these projects for that year total £1 million.

As contracts relating to opinion polling and research are based around providing services to projects or activities which can apply to both existing passport operational business as well as the future development of biometric passports, identity cards and future improvements, it is not possible to disaggregate the specific cost of opinion polling and research for the ID cards scheme. However, the total expenditure on all communications activities attributed to the budgets of projects for the future development of biometric passports, identity cards and associated initiatives was £145,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of services (a) non-EU nationals and (b) UK residents will be able only to access by carrying their identity card with them. (140526)

Producing an identity card is likely to be the most convenient method of proving identity when accessing any public or private sector services. However, unless and until the specific requirements in section 16 of the Identity Cards Act are met, it will continue to be possible for individuals to use reasonable alternative methods of establishing their identity.