ID card plans set to be unveiled

Non-jury trials for terror cases appear to have been ditched

Plans to bring in identity cards are set to take centre stage in a bumper Queen's Speech on Tuesday.

But the plans may be altered to ensure they do not fall victim to a Labour rebellion, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has suggested.

The Lib Dems oppose ID cards. The Tories back them in principle but opposed the previous scheme proposed.

The speech covers Tony Blair's plans to November 2006 and will focus on crime and reform of the public sector.

It is also expected to include policy proposals on nuclear power, council tax reform and pensions.

Reports suggest plans for non-jury trials in terror cases may be ditched.

Confident

According to The Times newspaper, the jury trial proposals were deemed too controversial to continue, given the government's majority has been slashed from 161 to 67.

The Queen's Speech will see the introduction of a raft of new bills - along with a number of old ones that were introduced last autumn but did not receive parliamentary approval due to the election.

We were elected on a manifesto - it includes identity cards and yes, we will go ahead with that Patricia Hewitt Health Secretary Have Your Say: Queen's Speech

Mr Hain said he was "confident" the government could get support for ID cards.

Identity cards, which are commonplace in many European countries, have never permanently been introduced in the UK, where opponents fear it would curb their civil rights.

'Harder fight'

But Mr Hain said public opinion "overwhelmingly" supported the principle "even if we can maybe look at some of the detail if that's necessary".

"I am confident we can build consent around this elementary principle that we all need a verifiable identity in our society today that cannot be stolen," he told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost.

ID cards would bear fingerprints and personal details

"The Liberal Democrats and the Tories blocked that measure from going through at the end of the last session.

"It remains to be seen whether they go with the flow of public opinion."

Mr Hain conceded that with its reduced majority, the government would "have to fight harder to win our arguments" and not be able to take anything for granted.

He said the government would need to "build consent earlier in the process" for controversial bills such as foundation hospitals and student fees.

Welfare reform

However, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he was confident the government would be able to get its legislation through.

And Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt told ITV's Jonathan Dimbleby programme that Labour remained committed to its ID card plans.

"We were elected on a manifesto - it includes identity cards and yes, we will go ahead with that," she said.

Other bills that could cause a headache for Labour whips include a Welfare Reform Bill to tackle incapacity benefit and encourage nearly three million claimants back to work, and an Asylum and Immigration Bill to tighten security at borders and the introduction of a points system.

The government also has plans to tackle issues raised in the election, including MRSA and anti-social behaviour.