What data will ID cards store?

The government is revealing the design of a national identity card for the UK which it says it is pressing ahead with despite significant opposition and questions over its usefulness and costs. The card will hold a limited amount of information but will be backed up by further information held in databases. The Identity Cards Act 2006 includes a list of up to 49 items of information that could be recorded.

INFORMATION THAT WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE CARD:

• Name, date of birth and gender
• Place of birth and nationality
• Facial image and signature
• Date the card was issued and when it will expire

INFORMATION THAT WILL BE ENCODED ON THE CHIP:

• Name, date of birth and gender
• Place of birth and nationality
• Facial image
• Two fingerprints
• Date the card was issued and when it will expire

INFORMATION THAT MAY BE HELD IN THE REGISTER, ACCORDING TO IDENTITY CARDS ACT 2006:

Personal information

Full name

Other names by which person is or has been known

Date of birth

Place of birth

Gender

Address of principal place of residence in the United Kingdom

The address of every other place in the United Kingdom or elsewhere where person has a place of residence.

Identifying information

A photograph of head and shoulders

Signature

Fingerprints

Other biometric information

Residential status

Nationality

Entitlement to remain in the United Kingdom where that entitlement derives from a grant of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, the terms and conditions of that leave

Personal reference numbers

National Identity Registration Number

The number of any ID card issued

Allocated national insurance number

The number of any relevant immigration document

The number of their United Kingdom passport

The number of any passport issued to the individual by or on behalf of the authorities of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom or by or on behalf of an international organisation

The number of any document that can be used by them (in some or all circumstances) instead of a passport

The number of any identity card issued to him/her by the authorities of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom

Any reference number allocated to him/her by the secretary of state in connection with an application made by him for permission to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom

The number of any work permit relating to him/her

Any driver number given to him/her by a driving licence

The number of any designated document which is held by him/her and is a document the number of which does not fall within any of the preceding sub-paragraphs

The date of expiry or period of validity of a document the number of which is recorded by virtue of this paragraph

Record history

Information falling within the preceding paragraphs that has previously been recorded about him/her in the Register

Particulars of changes affecting that information and of changes made to his/her entry in the Register

Date of death

Registration and ID card history

The date of every application for registration made by him/her

The date of every application by him/her for a modification of the contents of his entry

The date of every application by him/her confirming the contents of his entry (with or without changes)

The reason for any omission from the information recorded in his/her entry

Particulars (in addition to its number) of every ID card issued to him/her

Whether each such card is in force and, if not, why not

Particulars of every person who has countersigned an application by him/her for an ID card or a designated document, so far as those particulars were included on the application

Particulars of every notification given about lost, stolen and damaged ID cards

Particulars of every requirement by the secretary of state for the individual to surrender an ID card issued to him.

Validation information

The information provided in connection with every application to be entered in the Register, for a modification of the contents of his entry or for the issue of an ID card

The information provided in connection with every application confirming entry in the Register (with or without changes)

Particulars of the steps taken, in connection with an application mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) or otherwise, for identifying the applicant or for verifying the information provided in connection with the application

Particulars of any other steps taken or information obtained for ensuring that there is a complete, up-to-date and accurate entry about that individual in the Register

Particulars of every notification given by that individual for changing details in the register

Security information

A personal identification number to be used for facilitating the making of applications for information recorded in his/her entry, and for facilitating the provision of the information

A password or other code to be used for that purpose or particulars of a method of generating such a password or code

Questions and answers to be used for identifying a person seeking to make such an application or to apply for or to make a modification of that entry

Records of provision of information

Particulars of every occasion on which information contained in the individual's entry has been provided to a person

Particulars of every person to whom such information has been provided on such an occasion

Other particulars, in relation to each such occasion, of the provision of the information