The ID card debate divides ministers

The prime minister signalled his support for compulsory identity cards during his keynote speech at Labour's annual conference in Bournemouth.

Home Secretary David Blunkett has advocated the scheme as a way of combating benefits fraud and finding out the true figures on immigration in Britain.

But with the cabinet still discussing the idea, other senior ministers are against the scheme and Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt has publicly voiced her "grave reservations".

Modern problems

A decision on ID cards, which would be compulsory to own but not to carry, is due this autumn in time for it to be included in the Queen's Speech on 26 October.

Mr Blair told Labour delegates: "In a world of mass migration, with cheaper air travel, and all the problems of fraud, it makes sense to ask whether now in the early 21st century identity cards are no longer an affront to civil liberties but may be the way of protecting them."

In a sign of the cabinet of the divisions on the issue, Ms Hewitt has said the scheme would maximise fears over civil liberties.

Ms Hewitt, former head of the human rights group now called Liberty, recently told BBC One's Question Time the issue raised "enormous" questions of both principle and practicality.

"Great big IT projects, data bases and the rest of it have a horrible habit of going wrong," she said.