January 18, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 17, 1426

LONDON, Jan 17: Prime Minister Tony Blair’s plans to introduce hi-tech national identity cards suffered a setback on Monday when the House of Lords voted to force the government to provide more details on the cost of the controversial scheme.

The vote, carried by a majority of 81 in the unelected upper chamber, could hold up the cards, which the government says are designed to combat fraud and terrorism.

The government says it has already explained the costs and benefits, and a new probe would be costly and cumbersome.

The Lords also inflicted two other defeats on the bill, voting to demand a secure and reliable method of recording and storing citizens’ personal data, and to change wording on the use of cards in controlling access to state benefits.

The government says existing laws are enough to ensure the data is safe.

The cards — with data for fingerprint, iris and face recognition technology — are among the world’s most ambitious experiments in biometric identification, and their roll-out could be used as a model for other countries.—Reuters