(2) how many identity cards she estimates will be issued to foreign nationals in the first 12 months of the scheme’s operation, broken down by type of visa giving entry to the UK.
We expect to issue around 50,000 cards from November 2008 to April 2009 but this depends on volumes applying within the selected categories. Volumes will rise rapidly thereafter and will depend on the speed of implementation and the nature of the immigration categories brought into the scheme.
The issuing of cards is not correlated with the types of visas issued; this is because foreign nationals may be granted leave to remain in another category to their grant of entry.