PPRuNe Forums - Balpa to challenge ID cards

The following is from No2ID.....I realise that it is too late for you to contact your MP re the vote. However, it will show you how much trust you can have in the current Government!!!???

URGENT: please WRITE TO YOUR MP, STOP ID POWERS NOW!

On Wednesday 8th July 2009, the House of Commons will vote on a group of three ID-related Statutory Instruments* including one called 'The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent) Regulations 2009'.
The other two establish fees and penalties that can be applied to anyone registered on the ID database.

We need you to write to your MP *NOW* to get them to vote against these key pieces of secondary legislation.

The 'Provision of Information without Consent' regulation would give powers to the Identity and Passport Service to pass on information it holds on you to a host of other agencies WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. This
information would include not only official document numbers, and personal details like your name, addresses and signature (more than enough to facilitate massive identity fraud) but also your fingerprints and even - to the police, intelligence services, taxman and ANYONE ELSE THEY AUTHORISE - details of every time you had had your ID checked, e.g to register with a GP, open a bank account or apply for credit, or travel abroad. Your medical and financial dealings conveniently tagged and indexed for further snooping.

Records of what information has been given to whom and why may be destroyed after 12 months or less. They would track you for life, but prefer to leave no trail of their activities.

Contrary to some recent media reports, the ID scheme is still very much alive. From 2011 onwards you will still be forced to register on the ID database when you apply for or renew your passport. Some, including young people and those living in the North West of England, may be duped or bullied into registering for a card from later this year - and once you are on the database, there is no way off. The fees, penalties and data-trafficking established by these regulations would apply to you for life.

Blocking these three Statutory Instruments would not only stall the Scheme, it provides an opportunity for ID opponents to show how committed they are to killing it off completely. It is important that as many MPs of all parties as possible vote against them on Wenesday 8th July.

There is very little time, so we need you to contact your MP straight away - http://www.WriteToThem.com makes it very easy - to tell him or her that you deeply object to having your personal information shared without your
knowledge or consent, and ask him or her to vote against 'The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent) Regulations 2009' and the other two ID-related Statutory Instruments (see below for details) on Wednesday 8th July.

And don't forget to TELL OTHERS - link to our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54487688497, e-mail your friends, but don't delay.

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*Statutory Instruments (SIs) are pieces of legislation which allow the provisions of an Act of Parliament (e.g. Ministerial powers) to be brought into force or altered without Parliament having to pass a new Act. They are also sometimes referred to as secondary legislation or regulations. The three with which we are most immediately concerned are:

The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Fees) Regulations 2009
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/draft/ukdsi_9780111479070_en_1

The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Information and Code of Practice on Penalties)
Order 2009
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/draft/ukdsi_9780111479087_en_1

The Identity Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent)
Regulations 2009
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/draft/ukdsi_9780111479063_en_1