ID Cards on Trial: Charles Clarke slams "media scare campaign"

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has accused critics of the government's controversial ID cards plan of running a "media scare campaign".

Speaking in an interview on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Clarke dismissed claims by the London School of Economics that the actual unit cost of each ID card could be as high as £300 instead of the £93 figure put forward by the government.

"It's a completely nonsense figure. They are running a media campaign with scare stories of this type which is very difficult for us to deal with," he said.

Clarke maintained the government's figures in the ID cards regulatory impact assessment are not "unreasonable" but was unable to give any indication of how much UK citizens will actually be charged for the privilege of carrying an ID card.

"The actual charging regime is something we will come to at the point of introducing the card," he said.

Responding to the US' decision to delay the deadline for the introduction of European travellers needing biometric passports in order to enter the US, Clarke said the plan was not being kicked into touch but just delayed to ensure all countries use the same standards.

"This kind of international biometric data works best if it is internationally consistent," he said.

The Home Office has to date failed to respond to repeated requests to provide answers to the concerns raised by silicon.com's ID Cards on Trial campaign about the cost, scope and technological aspects of the ID cards scheme.