Scots are sleepwalking towards UK identity cards, according to the Liberal Democrats who say an assent motion is being quietly passed through Holyrood that will make it easier for Westminster to press ahead with proposals.
Scots are sleepwalking towards UK identity cards, according to the Liberal Democrats who say an assent motion is being quietly passed through Holyrood that will make it easier for Westminster to press ahead with proposals.
Westminster is currently passing the Coroners and Justice Bill which includes a controversial section reforming the Data Protection Act. This, some critics say, completely subverts the original intention of that act.
This allows all UK Government departments to demand and share information, and it is proposed this be passed into Scottish law through a legislative consent motion, a so-called Sewell Bill.
LibDem justice spokesman Robert Brown told The Herald: "It is clear that the Scottish Government is sleepwalking towards ID cards.
"I am deeply concerned about the information sharing clause. It would allow UK ministers to order that personal information held by Scottish Government departments and other devolved bodies, be shared with UK Government bodies without parliamentary scrutiny at Holyrood."
He claimed the data could be used to provide information for UK databases such as the ones used for ID cards, adding: "As part of the previous administration Liberal Democrats insisted that the expensive white elephant of the Labour Government's ID cards scheme should not be supported by information held by the Scottish Government."
Mr Brown clashed with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on the issue at a recent committee, but the Scottish government insists that it remains opposed to both the principle and the detail of ID cards.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have been consistently clear in our opposition to the National Identity Scheme, as recently as this week when the minister for community safety, Fergus Ewing, responded to the Westminster Government's consultation on regulations relating to ID cards.
"The Coroners and Justice Bill does not connect with the ID card scheme at all, as it does not provide power to enforce sharing of data between the Scottish Government and any UK body. This would require further legislation at Westminster.
"The motion before the Scottish Parliament is simply to ensure that if UK ministers have the power to allow sharing between willing parties, then so should Scottish ministers - and opposing it would not in any way change the impact of the bill as regards the powers of UK ministers."
But Mr Brown insisted there was a danger that the Westminster Bill could come back to haunt Holyrood.
