Monday, November 16, 2009
The cost of authoritarianism
Today's Daily Telegraph reveals that the daily cost to the taxpayer for the roll-out of ID cards is now six times the size it was just three years ago:
Last month it emerged some 28 million people would have to sign up for an ID card in order to cover the cost of the scheme.
The Identity and Passport Service spent a £42 million on developing both the ID cards and biometric passport programmes in the six months since March this year.
That was equivalent of £229,508 every day – the highest amount of spending on the joint scheme so far.
In 2008/09, a total of £81.5 million was spent – the equivalent of £223,288 a day.
Between April 2003 and April 2006, a grand total of £41.1 million was spent – just £37,534 a day, although costs were always expected to rise as the programme expanded and began to roll out.
In the current financial climate and when the case for ID cards has been completely discredited it is difficult to see how the Government can justify this expenditure.
Last month it emerged some 28 million people would have to sign up for an ID card in order to cover the cost of the scheme.
The Identity and Passport Service spent a £42 million on developing both the ID cards and biometric passport programmes in the six months since March this year.
That was equivalent of £229,508 every day – the highest amount of spending on the joint scheme so far.
In 2008/09, a total of £81.5 million was spent – the equivalent of £223,288 a day.
Between April 2003 and April 2006, a grand total of £41.1 million was spent – just £37,534 a day, although costs were always expected to rise as the programme expanded and began to roll out.
In the current financial climate and when the case for ID cards has been completely discredited it is difficult to see how the Government can justify this expenditure.
Labels: ID
