To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) fake and (b) fraudulently obtained national identity cards have been seized in each month since the introduction of the national identity card scheme. (285940)

As part of the national identity card scheme we began issuing identity cards to foreign nationals on 25 November 2008. To date we have not identified or recovered any cards found to be fake or to have been obtained fraudulently.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many national identity cards have been withdrawn, recalled or returned as a result of errors in the data (a) displayed on the card and (b) contained on the chip since the introduction of the scheme. (285941)

Since November 2008, over 50,000 identity cards have been issued to foreign nationals by the UK Border Agency. Of these, four cards have been withdrawn, recalled or returned as a result of errors in the data either displayed on the card or contained on the chip since the introduction of the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many records checks have been made against the national identity card database by (a) police forces and (b) other agencies in each month since the introduction of the national identity card scheme. (285943)

The National Identity Register, which will hold the identity information of everyone issued with a national identity card, will not begin operation until later this year when we start to issue voluntary ID cards to airside workers at Manchester and London city airports as well as to British citizens living in the Greater Manchester area.

There have, therefore not yet been any checks made on the National Identity Register.