CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROFILES

Early day motion 93, tabled 26 November 2003 by Paul Flynn (Labour). Signed by 7 members.

That this House congratulates the Government on their far-sighted proposals to deal with the growing problems of identity theft and fraud; believes that conscientious objections to identity cards on the basis of infringements to liberty and privacy can be overcome by the use of cryptographic protocols which enable data held on the cards themselves to be validated by a central database which does not itself hold sensitive data, thus eliminating at a stroke the opportunity for the abuse of that data; believes that access to the cards themselves can be biometrically protected, rendering the cards individually as secure as they need to be for widescale acceptance; believes that the cards should never be made compulsory and nor should negative discrimination against non card holders be permitted; but that service providers be permitted to offer positive discrimination to cardholders thus encouraging take up as a result of perceived benefits rather than state compulsion; is convinced that these steps will make identity cards acceptable by providing new or speedier access to services and greater overall security for society by making fraud and criminality more traceable.

Signatures by party: Labour 7.