Your life in their hands

GNU LABOUR

So, the game of ping-pong continues. The Commons overturns the amendments added to the ID Cards Bill by the Lords, which would have meant ID cards would be voluntary. So, once again, an ID card will be compulsory but only if you ever want to leave the country.

In the meantime, the government has already spent £32m of our money trying to get this scheme in place, which is supported by only half the country and which hasn't even become law.

In a separate development, the National Audit Office is being asked to investigate failures in a new NHS computer system. The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford has just moved over to the new system, which is intended eventually to cover the entire country. But Computer Weekly magazine was passed documents showing that the implementation of the new system had led to inconvenience for both staff and patients and, in some cases, risk to patient health and safety. Patients disappeared from the database. Appointments were delayed. Not enough time was allocated to test the system properly.

This is just the first stage in what is said to be the world's largest civil computer project. Now, won't the ID cards scheme require another large civil computer project? Never mind, I'm sure they'll have sorted out all the glitches by that time.

Shall we all go and buy the new Pet Shop Boys album?