UK ID card scheme - Costs under scrutiny - Baroness Noakes emerges from the shadows

Baroness Noakes 57, (formerly Dame Sheila Masters) married Barry Noakes, in 1958 , a farmer and Conservative borough Councillor. Lady Noakes has many degreees in law, business and is a qualified Accountant . She was awarded a DBE in 1996.

She joined Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) in 1970 as an articled clerk and qualified as a chartered accountant (winning several prizes) in 1973. She was a partner in KPMG from 1983 to 2000.

Lady Noakes was made a life peer in 2000 - spokesman for Health and for Work and Pensions in 2001. Between November 2003 and November 2006, she was Shadow Minister in the Lords for Work & Pensions Nov 2003 /Nov 2006. Since November 2003, she has been a Shadow Minister in the Lords for the Treasury. Director of Hanson plc, Director of Imperial Chemical Industries plc, Director of Carpetright Plc , SThree plc, Trustee of the Reuters Founders Share Company. Formerly Director of the Court of the Bank of England. Fellow ( and President 99/00) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales , Director of the English National Opera.

A year ago yesterday this strikingly beautiful, dull, but worthy accountant , evidently one of the great,and possibly the very, very good, unelected but nonetheless an ornament to the House, provided their Lordships yesterday with some fascinating financial information concerning the Gubments ID card scheme. (Hansard)

For one year starting late 2008 the Gubment say the ID card scheme running costs will be £584 Mn. - this figure (the Minister admits) does NOT include the costs of the immigration service (and probably many other undiscolosed costs) . The London School of Economics report, of June 2006 said over 10 years the costs would be £10.6 Bn, £19.2 Bn. If the Home Office figure for running costs is correct this implies a 10 year total cost of £5.8 Bn.

The Gubment currently say the cost to the user of a passport will be £93 and an ID card £30. They imply that the fees are derived from the £584 million cost estimate.

If the LSE report is right,those fees could be between £170 and over £300, and an ID card fee , maybe £100. The Gubment have refused to cap fees, implying if costs rise, fees do also.

There is plenty of research to show that the acceptability of the ID card scheme declines as its cost increases.

She concluded ....

"The ID scheme is surrounded by much secrecy. We know that the scheme will require large and complex IT systems."

She seems an unlikely champion of democracy, but nonetheless welcome. Since her intervention we have heard litle and learnt less about how the scheme will work - or any further details on costs.

Learn more about the "Database State" at NO2ID