Government 'take out the trash' with ID card report

2.56.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th May 2007

The Government have been accused of hiding the latest costings of the controversial ID card project behind Tony Blair's resignation.

The report, which shows the costs of the project rising by £640m to £5.55bn since October, was due to be released on the 9th April but was only presented to parliament today.

Local MP David Howarth, who has campaigned against the ID cards project, commented:

"The Government is trying to use Tony Blair's resignation to bury bad news. This ID cards report should have been published over a month ago but the Government is clearly hoping that no-one will notice it today.

"The costs of their ill-thought through ID cards project just continue to rise but the official estimates are still no where near what the final costs will be.

David Howarth with NO2ID campaigners

"The Government needs to abandon this expensive mistake before it is too late."