Identity Documents Bill

Lord Maxton Excerpts

Monday 1st November 2010 Grand Committee

The coalition made clear its position on refunds at the time of the 2006 Act—we did not support it—and during the election campaign. It is simply not true to say that this was tucked away in manifestos to be seen only by Westminster anoraks. It was widely reported and commented on. It was widely known that the coalition would scrap the cards. The approach to refunds was also covered in the newspapers. It was not a secret. It was referred to in television and radio programmes. It was an ongoing story.

[Lord Maxton]

Will the noble Baroness tell us exactly when this information was made public vis-à-vis those who had bought their cards? Was it before or after they had bought their cards? If it was during the election campaign, many people had already bought their cards before the election campaign had started.

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

The question of the cards and whether they would be valid after the election, and everything associated with it, was a continuous process. Certainly, a large number of people bought their cards fully aware of the fact that there was controversy about them. As the noble Lord, Lord Bach, indicated at Second Reading, the House has always taken account of the content of manifestos, which is true today of the Opposition Benches.

The noble Lord, Lord Hunt, asked about the impact assessment.