Lords supports amendment on ID card refunds
18 November 2010 (updated on 18 November 2010)
Members of the House of Lords supported an amendment to offer refunds to people who bought ID cards during the report stage of the Identity Documents Bill – further line-by-line examination – on Wednesday 17 November
- Watch the report stage of the Identity Documents Bill
- Lords Hansard: read a transcript of the debate
- Identity Documents Bill
- Lords Divisions Analysis
Lord Hunt moved the amendment to clause 2 to insert:
“( ) giving cardholders the option of being reimbursed £30 on surrendering their ID cards by such a date and pursuant to such arrangements as the Secretary of State considers appropriate”
The amendment was agreed, representing a defeat for the Government on this issue. This amendment was made to the Bill, together with the other amendments agreed without division.
All proposals for changes to a Bill are published in a marshalled list of amendments a day before Bill stage.
Baroness Neville-Jones, Minister of State for Security and government spokesperson for the Home Office, opened the debate.
The main purpose of this Bill is to abolish identity cards and the National Identity Register; it repeals the Identity Cards Act 2006. There are no provisions for refunding existing cardholders.
Third reading – final tidying up of the Bill – will take place on 24 November.
Further information
Report stage in the Chamber gives all Members of the Lords further opportunity to consider all amendments (proposals for change) to a Bill.
Report stage usually starts 14 days after committee stage. It can be spread over several days (but usually fewer days than at committee stage).