National Identity Register

Question

Asked by

Lord Hylton
To ask Her Majesty's Government who has access to the national identity register; and for what purposes. [HL5511]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead)
The Identity Cards Act 2006 sets out the legal basis for the provision of information, such as a person's name or address, from the national identity register. This may either be, with the consent of the individual, to approved organisations to assist in verifying an individual's identity or else, without consent, but only where it is in the public interest, to public sector organisations listed on the face of the Act or in regulations approved by Parliament under the Act.

In addition, there will be a limited number of personnel involved in the management of the national identity register who will need access to it, but any such access will be carefully regulated and audited.