My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The second ID cards scheme costs report is being laid before Parliament today. It sets out an estimate of the public expenditure likely to be incurred on the ID cards scheme over the next 10 years, in accordance with Section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006. It reports on developments over the past six months, since the first costs report was published on 9 October 2006.