The home secretary, Charles Clarke, will today guarantee that the personal d

The home secretary, Charles Clarke, will today guarantee that the personal details contained on the national identity card will not go beyond those currently on passports. He will write the guarantee into the legislation which passes through its final stages in the Commons today.
    The bill specifies that only name, date and place of birth, gender, address, nationality and immigration status can be recorded on the ID database. The home secretary has promised fresh legislation will have to be introduced if extra personal details such as health records, criminal records or other background information were added.
    Mr. Clarke will also promise that everyone will be able to access their entry on the national ID card database and see which organizations had been confirming their identity. At the same time ministers will table new government amendments to ensure those who access the national ID cards register will not be able to tell who has a criminal record on the police national computer.
    The government has said the cost of a combined 10-year passport/identity card will be ￡93. The Home Office has opened talks with departments likely to benefit from the introduction of the scheme to see if they can recoup some of the overall costs. The departments include work and retirement fund, health, transport and local councils.
    The Home Office minister, Andy Burnham, said scanners and readers needed for the national identity card scheme would have to be introduced anyway to upgrade to the next generation of "biometric" passports. He said other departments which would make savings as a result of the introduction of ID cards would make a contribution. The use of more secure identity confirmation systems would mean cuts in social security, housing benefit and council tax deception.