The Identity & Passport Service (IPS) has said that it will - eventually - be building a dossier of up to 200 personal questions to ask everyone when they apply for a passport and ID card. Given the government's appalling record on handling personal information, and even if this process weren't going to lead to lifelong registration on the ID database (the 'National Identity Register'), the risks are obvious.

At present only some people applying for their FIRST adult passport are being called in for an official interview - mainly young people. No-one is being issued with an ID card, and IPS has yet to issue the contracts to build the Register.

NO2ID has discovered that you can successfully request a transcript of the interview under the Data Protection Act. It will cost you £10, but some of the information in it could be immensely useful to the campaign.

We want to know what questions are being asked. Just the questions - NOT your information. NO2ID respects your privacy.

If you are applying for your first UK passport or if you've been called in for interview then you can help. Please contact passports@no2id.net to let us know if you've been called in (not everyone is) and, after the interview, contact the centre and ask for a transcript. You may need to make what is called a 'Subject Access' request - a sample letter can be found on the Information Commissioner's site [1], where you can also learn more about 'Subject Access'.

When you receive your transcript, please make a copy, BLACK OUT YOUR ANSWERS, and send it to our office:

NO2ID, Box 412
19-21 Crawford Street
London W1H 1PJ

Or, if you prefer, you could send an e-mail containing just the text of what the official said, to passports@no2id.net - NO2ID does not want your personal details! We want to know which personal details the government is seeking.

Thanks for your help.

The NO2ID Pledge - a way for people to personally and publicly declare that they will refuse to comply with the government's ID scheme. The pledge is an act of *pre-emptive* resistance and is, as such, entirely legal. You can resolve openly, and clearly, not to do those specific things that give the ID scheme its parasitic vitality. It's something positive that you can do NOW.

We have created The NO2ID Pledge certificate, for you to fill out and sign in front of a witness. You can find out more and download certificates from http://www.no2id.net/pledge/

Please don't just print one copy... print five... or fifty and pass them on to people who you think might also pledge. The idea is to spread The NO2ID Pledge as far and as wide as possible.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Completed pledges should not be returned to NO2ID, they ideally should be displayed in your home or workplace to encourage discussion about the ID scheme and inspire others to take the pledge.

Tuesday, 8th April 7pm at Friends House, 173 Euston Road NW1 2BJ. NO2ID is holding hustings among the candidates for Mayor of London to discover their positions on The Database State. How do candidates feel about the civil liberties and privacy implications of, among other things, the Oyster Card, congestion charging, telephone parking? Would they support or oppose national ID schemes as mayor? What is their attitude to the database state? Prospective candidates Gerrard Batten (UKIP), Sian Berry (Green), Lindsay German (Respect), Boris Johnson (Conservative), and Brian Paddick (LibDem) have indicated interest in participating already.

Call for volunteers - London office

We need help running our office in London. If you live in London and have a few hours to spare regularly during the week please volunteer to join the staff rota helping with the vital clerical work to support the campaign. If you can help please contact the office if you can help (office@no2id.net).

An important case for the rights of innocent people to be removed from the National DNA Database is being heard this week. Two British men, who have not been convicted of any crime, are challenging the police's legal right to keep samples of their DNA and fingerprints at the European Court of Human Rights. It is no coincidence that as the landmark case is being heard there is a debate in the media about whether the UK's DNA database should be extended to cover non-recordable offences (such as dropping litter) or even the whole UK population. The decision on the case (known as Marper, after one of the complainants) is expected later this year.

The London Assembly has called on the Government to abandon controversial plans to introduce ID cards and instead spend London’s share of the costs of the proposed scheme on tackling crime. The motion was carried by a majority of 16 Assembly Members. A webcast of the meeting, which took place on 20 February 2008, can be viewed at: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/webcasts.jsp

Our right to privacy, unless guilty of a crime - The Independent 28/2/08

Two British men have argued before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that the decision by the UK police to retain their DNA on a national database, despite the fact that they are entirely innocent of any crime, is a breach of their right to privacy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-our-right-to-privacy-unless-guilty-of-a-crime-788492.html

One in eight samples from criminals in DNA database filed under innocent names in Government blunder - Daily Mail 27/2/08T

here are 550,000 false, misspelt or incorrect names on the Government's vast DNA database, which contains more than 4 million samples. That means one in every eight records is thought to be inaccurate.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=519568&expand=true

Minister defends National ID Register security - The Register 27/2/08

The National Identity Register will have very limited access, stringent security and no risk of 'discs flying around', MPs have been told. Home Office minister Meg Hillier defended the government's plans for its controversial National Identity Scheme, as she faced questions about data security from a committee of MPs.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/27/national_identity_register_security/

Foreigners will be thrown out of Britain if they refuse to give details for ID cards - Daily Mail 25/2/08Foreigners who repeatedly flout the rules when they are made to apply for ID cards will be thrown out, the Government said yesterday.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=518628&expand=true

NHS database must go ahead, say MPs - Computing 25/2/08

Labour MP Kevin Baron attacked medical professionals for propagating " palpable nonsense" in suggesting the government will profit by selling the intended 60 million health records to pharmaceutical and insurance companies.
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2210437/nhs-database-ahead-say-mps

Airport workers demand ID card consultation - ZDnet 21/2/08Unite, the union which represents workers in the civil air transport sector, wants "full consultation" with airport group BAA after it was revealed it is in talks with the Home Office over the plan.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39327036,00.htm

UK airport staff first to get ID cards - Financial Times 19/2/08Thousands of airport workers will become the first British nationals to be issued with new biometric identity cards within the next two years in the latest government attempt to kick-start the controversial scheme.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/65573ad0-df25-11dc-91d4-0000779fd2ac.html

Students held to ransom by government’s ID plans - The Journal 15/2/08Students may be forced into holding ID cards in order to apply for a student loan, Conservative MPs have warned.
http://www.journal-online.co.uk/articles/show/2871