Britain's plan to introduce national identity cards in the world's most ambitious biometric scheme of its kind will cost 5.4 billion pounds ($10.08 billion) over the next decade, the government announced on Monday.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's government wants to bring in compulsory ID cards carrying fingerprint, iris and face-recognition technology, arguing they are vital to fight terrorism, serious organised crime and illegal immigration.
It would see Britons issued with ID cards for the first time since they were abolished after World War Two.
But the cards, which will involve one of the world's largest IT schemes, have drawn much criticism, with opponents saying they will infringe civil rights and be a costly flop.
Recent reports suggested problems with the technology could jeopardise the entire project or a least the timing of its introduction, but Home Office Minister Liam Byrne confirmed on Monday the cards would be rolled out as planned from 2008.
In a report to parliament, he also revealed the total cost of the scheme, including its set-up and operational charges, was estimated to be 5.4 billion pounds for the 10 years to 2016.
"ID cards will give us a powerful tool to combat identity fraud which underpins organised crime, terrorism and abuse of the immigration system," Byrne said in a statement which focused on how the cards would help in tackling illegal workers.
Under the plans, Britons applying for or renewing passports after 2008 would be given an ID card and their biometric details would be put on a national register. ID cards are used in about a dozen European Union countries but are not always compulsory and do not carry as much data as those planned for Britain.
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