AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON. TONY BLAIR MP, CONCERNING THE "ENTITLEMENT CARD" CONSULTATION

30th January 2003 

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing to express our concern over the management and current state of the government's consultation on Entitlement Cards.

As you know, the Home Secretary launched the consultation in July, foreshadowing a full and comprehensive public debate that would lead to an outcome based on "the assessed will of the people of the United Kingdom".

Six months later, this necessary community-wide debate has not occurred. The public at large have not been engaged in the debate that was set as a pre-requisite of the consultation.

There are a number of causes for the absence of a public debate. We believe the consultation document on Entitlement Cards breaches the Code of Practice on consultations in several key respects, including lack of necessary detail and a complete absence of either an impact assessment or counter argument. The document has failed to deliver a concrete proposal for public debate and has therefore failed to engage the public's interest.

A single public meeting on the consultation was held on December 11th comprising hundreds of representatives of business, community organisations and the general public. It voted almost unanimously to urge the government to extend the consultation period by a further six months. It also unanimously urged the government to "take its responsibilities seriously" through genuine leadership in engendering a meaningful public debate. We support this position. Ministers have to this point remained largely silent on this issue.

By its very terms of reference, this consultation has proved to be largely invalid. We urge you to take action on these concerns by extending the consultation period until July 2003, during which time we would anticipate the publication of concrete proposals. The current documentation is clearly inadequate,

We also seek an undertaking that any prospective legislation will be published in draft form, to be available for scrutiny by a Select Committee.

We are united in a desire to ensure that the issue of identity cards is thoroughly debated amongst the entire population. This can only be achieved if the government takes action immediately to set the consultation on a genuine and meaningful path.

Yours sincerely

Simon Davies,
Director, Privacy International

Ian Brown,
Director, Foundation for Information Policy Research

Clarence Lusane,
1990 Trust

Marion Chester,
Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales

Tony Bunyan,
Editor, Statewatch

Judith Vidal-Hall,
Editor, Index on Censorship

Chris Taper,
Director, International Commerce Exchange (ICX)

Chris R Tame,
Director, The Libertarian Alliance

Julian Petley,
Chairman, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

Karen Banks,
Director, GreenNet

Mark Littlewood,
Liberty