Interesting opinion from the Information Commissioner
"Biometric systems, says the guidance, are designed to validate a pupil's identity and should not hold any other data." "Under the Data Protection Act 1998, schools can only use biometric information for the express purpose for which it was collected."
So how come our spineless Information Commissioner was not around to tell the government these little nuggets about the ID card system?
"But we are absolutely clear that they have to comply with data protection laws. <snip> and it must be destroyed when a pupil leaves their school."
Ha Ha Ha, like DNA samples the Police have taken to 'eliminate people from enquiries' are destroyed? Or maybe in the way that people arrested unlawfully are removed quickly and efficienctly from the PNC? Maybe it will be like the way that the congestion charging cameras, digital speed cameras that take a picture of every vehicle passing and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems are only being used for their intended purpose and the data not held indefinitely as part of an illegal surveillance system.
I really can't see Ian 'jackboots' Blair resisting the temptation to get his sticky fingers on all this biometric data. Just think of all those 'potential criminals' he could get the jump on, all he needs is some excuse to use the data once and then just not delete it....