ID cards remain a solution looking for a problem - Black

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Jul 2008

Warnings by airlines and airport operators that ID cards will bring no significant improvement in security whilst increasing costs to passengers, has left the Government urgently needing to answer the question of what these cards are for, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Social Justice spokesperson, Peter Black has said.

Mr. Black was responding to comments reported in the Financial Times from UK airlines and airport operators. The British Air Transport Association have warned that Labour's ID card plan will add extra bureaucracy and cost to what they believe is already an extremely thorough system of vetting, criminal record checks and security measures in place at present.

Mr. Black said:

"ID cards are to be foisted upon airport staff from next year as part of Labour's plan to impose them upon the rest of us by stealth. One among the many reasons that Labour trot out to justify their obsession with ID cards is that they will magically protect us all.

"Yet the airlines and airport operators are warning that the cards will bring about no significant improvement in security; though they will increase costs to passengers. It is clear from this that ID cards remain a solution looking for a problem.

"If even this limited introduction is going to have no effect on security, then it is time for Labour to scrap the whole ID card scheme and spend the taxpayer's money they will save on providing us with more police and intelligence officers to catch terrorists and criminals."