One card per gender
By John Oates
Published Tuesday 31st January 2006 12:13 GMT
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Many people in the UK don't want an ID card, but one group of people is getting stuck with two.
Last night, Baroness Scotland of Asthal let slip that transexuals awaiting surgery would be entitled to an ID card displaying their "birth gender" and a separate card with their "gender of designation".
So transexuals, already struggling with two wardrobes and varied shoe needs, will also have to fork out for two ID cards. Depending on who you believe, an ID card will cost between £30 and £300. Whether this will leave Fortress Britain at risk from hordes of cross-dressing al-Qaeda operatives is not yet clear.
Government was also defeated last night on who should appoint the National Identity Card Commissioner - the scheme's supposed watchdog. The Lords voted that the post should be appointed by the Crown rather than directly by the Home Secretary. In reality the Queen is likely to take the Home Secretary's advice, but it does give the post at least a gloss of independence.
The bill will face its third reading in the Lords on February 6.
