Reading councillors do not support ID cards

Reading borough councillors could not be less enthusiastic about the Government’s proposed ID card scheme if they tried.

They agreed on Tuesday last week that they:

- Opposed the introduction of National Identity Cards
- Did not believe they would be effective against terrorism
- Thought the cost would be an unjustifiable waste of money
- Had concerns over the confidentiality of information
- And had no confidence in public sector IT projects to implement and successfully secure the scheme.

At the full council meeting the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voted for the entirely negative response to the scheme, and also said the council should not take part in any pilot scheme.

Even the leading Labour group could not bring themselves to vote against the proposals which so completely condemned the Government scheme. They abstained.

The original plan to scrutinise the Government’s scheme came from Lib Dem leader Councillor Gareth Epps.

The negative findings of the scrutiny panel were put to the full council by Tory Cllr David Stevens.

Leader of the council Cllr Jo Lovelock said she thought the resolution was premature but agreed the council should not take part in a pilot scheme.