ID card cost rises above £5bn
The official cost of the ID card scheme has risen by £400m to £5.31bn, the Home Office says. The Liberal Democrats say that the Home Office broke the law by releasing the updated costings a month later than they should have. Under the Identity Card Act, the government must give an update on the costs of the scheme twice a year. The latest update was due on 9 April. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "It is bad enough that the Government seeks to bury bad news behind the camouflage of Tony Blair's resignation announcement. "Breaking the law to do so breaks new ground even for Tony Blair's Labour Party." He added: "The costs are now spiralling out of control. On the grounds of expense alone, the government should do us all a favour and abandon this great white elephant before it is too late."
