One in the eye from the Home Office
11 December 2002

A UK Government department is showing off the use of biometrics in 
smart cards in an effort to assess public opinion on entitlement cards.  

A series of demonstrations of the potential for using biometrics 
in entitlement cards has been launched by the Home Office, it was 
announced on 9 December 2002.  

The project is running as part of a consultation, to last until 31 January 
2003, on whether the public would find an entitlement card helpful in 
accessing services. It is also looking at its potential in dealing with 
illegal immigration.  

Home Office minister Beverley Hughes visited one of the demonstrations 
at Glasgows Passport Office. It was aimed at obtaining feedback from 
the public on the technology and the implications of holding a card.  

To register the participant's iris is photographed four times by an 
iris scanner, which transforms the photographs into encoded data to be 
stored on a smart card with the person's name. Iris registration takes 
between two and three minutes and can take place when applicants 
apply for an entitlement card.  

Iris recognition, which takes less than 30 seconds, involves inserting 
the smart card inserted into a reader. If the encoded data from the smart 
card matches that of the photographed iris the individual's identity is 
confirmed.  

SchlumbergerSema provided systems integration and the equipment 
for the demonstrations in support of the Home Office entitlement 
card consultation process.  

The project deals with one of the biometric options proposed in the 
Government's consultation paper, Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud, 
published in July 2002. The Government has ruled out the option of a 
card which would be compulsory to carry.  

"The Government has always said that the introduction of an entitlement 
card would be a major step and that we will not proceed without 
consulting widely and considering all the views expressed very carefully,"
said Hughes. "We are in the middle of a public consultation and I am glad 
that so many people - around 1,500 so far - have already sent in their 
comments to us.  

"There are some very important issues and questions around entitlement 
cards, on which we have started the public debate. For example, does 
the public think that a card system would help to tackle illegal working 
and combat illegal immigration by reducing "pull factors" by giving 
employers a straightforward way to check eligibility for work?  

"Identity fraud is a growing problem, which costs the taxpayer [Pounds] 1.3 
billion every year. I believe that there are real advantages in introducing 
a card which could guarantee and protect our identity.  

Other potential uses of an entitlement card detailed in the consultation 
document are: a travel card in Europe; a proof of age card; a way of 
tackling identity fraud; a card to promote new ways of voting; and a 
way of fostering citizenship.  

Source: Kable's Government Computing
Publication date: 11/12/2002

                           -==-

Source: Kable's Government Computing ...
http://www.kablenet.com/kd.nsf/Frontpage/9157B55D2D63D58C80256C8B005CE327?
OpenDocument

Cheers, Steve..

---