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ID card scheme could bring 500 jobs to Durham
UP TO 500 new jobs could be created as part of plans to make Durham the regional centre of the Government's controversial identity cards scheme.
The Identity and Passport Service is considering establishing a North-East base for the flagship project in former library service offices in an annexe of County Hall.
Discussions between the IPS and Durham County Council, the owners of County Hall, have been ongoing for at least two years and to have now reached "an advanced stage", a senior source said.
If a deal is struck, staff at the existing IPS offices, in Millburngate House, on Framwelgate Waterside, would also be relocated.
The new jobs are likely to be administrative posts.
No-one at the IPS - an executive agency of the Home Office - or County Hall was available for comment as the Durham Times went to press, but the source confirmed the talks were "well on".
A final decision is expected by September.
Coun Nigel Martin, whose Neville's Cross division includes County Hall, welcomed the prospect of new jobs being created, but said he was concerned congestion around Aykley Heads would increase.
"Everybody wants more jobs for Durham. But I'm anti-ID cards and I'm concerned about parking in that part of town.
"There's a question about how we retain the jobs and manage several hundred extra people coming into Aykley Heads."
Coun Martin said he learned of the plans when Albert Nugent, the former county council leader, discussed them at a public meeting organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union in the city last month.
Coun Nugent said he could not comment on the project as he was no longer leader of the council or Labour group.
The ID cards scheme, which the Government first proposed in 2005, has been hugely controversial.
A No2ID campaign has been gathering support and both the Conservatives and Lib Dems say they would scrap the scheme if they came to power.
Despite the bill behind the scheme becoming law in 2006, some details of how the multi-million pound initiative will be implemented remain unclear.
The scheme will initially apply only to foreign nationals wanting to enter the UK, who from next November will have their details entered into a National Identity Register.
From next year, cards will be issued to about 200,000 people working airside at British airports.
Anyone applying for a passport will have their details registered - and be given the option of having an ID card - from 2012.
The cards will carry a person's name, address, gender, date and place of birth, immigration status, fingerprints, iris patterns and facial image.
The IPS says they will cost £30 or less. The Government has said it has no plans to make it compulsory to carry an ID card.
4:02pm Thursday 15th May 2008
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