Decision details

43.             MOTION D (2005/06):

It was moved by Councillor Edge and seconded by Councillor Davies that:

“This Council notes-

·        That the Government has returned to its aim of introducing compulsory ID Cards for all adults in Britain.

·        That the Treasury insists that this policy should be self-financing- that the citizen must pay or face fines or imprisonment.

·        That the Government has reported that this will cost £93 per person yet other sources have reported that the costs of the technology will be double that of the Government’s estimate (The Times 31 May 2005) or even as high as £300 (London School of Economics The Observer May 29 2005).

·        That The Independent reported that the US Government has approached the UK Government seeking compatible technologies so that US Agencies may obtain access to the information held.

This Council believes-

·        That this is an unacceptable infringement of civil liberties and a further domination of Government over the Citizen.

·        That ID Cards will have a radically detrimental effect upon community relations in Haringey by undermining trust in the police and creating conditions for discrimination and harassment.

·        That it is unacceptable for the Citizens of Haringey to have to fork out up to £300 per person, costing £75 million, irrespective of ability to pay.

·        That there will be costs to the Council itself in terms of ensuring compatibility of operations.

Council therefore resolves-

·        To submit its objections to this legislation to the Home Secretary.

·        To investigate future costs and future risks to the Council as a result of ID cards coming into operation.

·        To ask Haringey’s two Members of Parliament to oppose the ID Card Scheme”.

An amendment to the motion was received from Councillor Canver and seconded by Councillor Dobbie, proposing to:

Delete everything after ‘This council notes' and insert the following:

“the Government’s intention, included in its manifesto, of introducing identity cards in Britain, and that this will cost £93 per person.

     This Council believes

·        that identity cards should be free or available at a reduced rate to under-16s, pensioners and those on low incomes;

·        that identity cards may be helpful to Haringey Council’s efforts to combat fraud and ensure council services are only used by those entitled to them, thereby freeing up money for investment in front-line services and maximizing our ability to build a better Haringey for all our residents;

·        that there is no evidence to support the notion that ID cards will radically undermine trust in the police or have a detrimental effect on community relations, and that many other European countries have had such schemes for decades.

      This Council resolves

·        to write to the Home Secretary, stressing our concern that identity cards, when introduced, should be free or available at a reduced rate to under-16s, pensioners and those on low incomes, and that the cost for all others is no more than £93;

·        to ask the Home Secretary, when the legislation is passed, to investigate the implications to the Council of identity cards coming into operation.

The Amendment was then put to the meeting and declared CARRIED.

The substantive Motion was then put to the meeting and declared CARRIED.

44.             MOTION E (2005/06):

It was moved by Councillor Harris and seconded by Councillor Makanji that:

“This Council welcomes the publication of the recent green paper ‘Youth Matters’ by the Department for Education and Skills, which will be of great help in continuing the improvement of the provision of local services to young people. 

Council applauds the priority given to greater integration of youth services and the emphasis of co-operation between bodies related to young people, in order to tackle more effectively youth issues such as study, employment, health, self-esteem, prejudice and anti-social behaviour.

Council encourages the strengthening of a spirit of civic service and volunteering, which is at the heart of ‘Youth Matters’ and hopes to promote opportunities for young people to contribute to our community in this way.

Furthermore, this Council welcomes the emphasis in the Green Paper on improving the effectiveness and suitability of services by engaging young people and their parents to shape the services they themselves receive.”

The Motion was then put to the meeting and unanimously declared CARRIED.