07 February 2003
Chair Sir Jeremy Beecham has written to Home Secretary David Blunkett, stating that the case for identity cards has not been made, while agencies are not exploiting 'smartcard' initiatives.
The LGA says the issue of identity cards should be separated from plans to set up a register with personal identity numbers – a proposal that the LGA supports.
Meanwhile, local authorities have yet to talk to Home Office officials on how the new citizenship test proposed by Blunkett is to be administered.
An interim report from the Life in the UK committee – set up to advise the government on the content of the citizenship test – last week recommended giving free English lessons to all who intend to seek British citizenship, as well as distribution of a Living in Britain handbook 'in as many languages as practicable'.
The committee, chaired by Sir Bernard Crick, decided against promoting a common standard of English. Immigrants should be assessed on progress towards three different levels, the first of which should be to speak English to a standard sufficient to work in a shop, hotel or restaurant.
Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, attacked the test as divisive. 'Plenty of new immigrants are not literate in any language,' he said.
PFfeb2003
