No2ID News; 14 leading figures in the UK aviation industry have spoken out against the ID scheme

south west | globalisation | news report Friday July 04, 2008 05:51 by no2ID supporter

and more including South West local group contacts

14 leading figures in the UK aviation industry have spoken out against the ID scheme. In a strongly worded letter to the Home Secretary, they express their "determined opposition" and highlight that enrolment on the National ID Scheme will provide "no additional security" - indeed it risks creating a "false sense of security"....and more news...

++ MAKING CONNECTIONS ++

14 leading figures in the UK aviation industry have spoken out against the ID scheme. In a strongly worded letter to the Home Secretary, they express their "determined opposition" and highlight that enrolment on the National ID Scheme will provide "no additional security" - indeed it risks creating a "false sense of security".

Such vocal opposition represents a serious blow to the government's plans. And it is the sort of resistance that YOU can help NO2ID to spread at all levels, by using connections you already have.

You may be a member of a professional body, a club or association. You may volunteer or support a charity. You may be active in your church, mosque, synagogue or temple. You don't have to be a member of a political party or union. The organisation doesn't have to be national, in fact it's often easier to start local.

What we'd like you to do is simply ask people in the organisation what they know about the National Identity Scheme.

You could write a letter or speak to the leaders, or raise it at your next meeting. Talk to other members of the group. The point is to get people thinking about the scheme. The more people find out, the less they like it - and the more likely they are to do something about it.

Making connections is more important than ever. And you can certainly raise awareness of the ID scheme without being an expert in it. Please ask the question. You may be pleasantly surprised by the response.

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

South West
http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/#South%20West

Bath Contact: Richard White bath@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.bath

Bournemouth Contact: Peter Lucas bournemouth@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.bournemouth

Bridport Contact: Deborah Bond (pro tem) bridport@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.bridport
Bristol Contact: Rosealeen Brennan and David Gould bristol@no2id.net
Phone: 0117 914 9141
Website: http://www.bristol-no2id.org.uk/
Mailing List: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.bristol

Chippenham Contact: Andrew Meredith chippenham@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.chippenham

Dorchester Contact: Seeking coordinator dorchester@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.dorchester

Penryn & Truro Contact: Karen Campbell penryn@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.penryn

Plymouth Contact: Tony Staunton plymouth@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.plymouth

Salisbury Contact: Marnie Wright salisbury@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.salisbury

Swindon Contact: Geoff Reid swindon@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.swindon

Taunton Contact: Pamela Hill taunton@no2id.net
Mailing List: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.taunton

+ Cardiff +

+ Cardiff NO2ID gets new facebook page +
Supporters with a facebook account can now view Cardiff NO2ID's new facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15482803163&ref=ts

+ 4th July - Cardiff NO2ID on 98.7FM +
Friday, 4th July, 12.45pm. One of Cardiff's two coordinators, Michael Richards will be conducting a brief telephone interview with Radio Cardiff (98.7 FM - www.radiocardiff.org) on the subject of our forthcoming benefit gig and the reasons for it, possibly with a Plaid Cymru councillor. You can listen online at (www.radiocardiff.org).

+ 11th July - NO2ID Benefit Gig at KOKO Gorillas Cardiff +
Friday, 11th July at Koko Gorillaz, Miskin Road, Cathays, Cardiff. Sicknote, New State Radio, Cosmo, The Fix Up and Lou Noble will be providing plenty of entertainment in Cardiff's first NO2ID benefit gig. All profits will go to the NO2ID campaign.

+ 16th July - NO2ID Cardiff Meeting +
Wednesday, 16th July 7.30pm Shot in the Dark (City Road), Cardiff. Monthly meeting and planing of future action and events. Email cardiff@no2id.net for more info.

+ NO2ID Campaigners Arrested at "Public" Meeting +
On Monday (30th June) nine NO2ID campaigners were arrested after they staged a peaceful protest at an invitation only Home Office so-called "public consultation". NO2ID's protest was an entirely peaceful and lawful attempt to publicise the Home Office's shifty semi-secret proceedings that had been pre-arranged with STV news. There was no intention to frighten or inconvenience any member of the public. The nine were charged with breach of the peace and bound over for 30 days. One of those arrested had a 4 year old child with her. Another of those arrested was a 68 year old retired academic. It took nine hours for the last of the protesters to be released from police custody. John Welford, NO2ID Edinburgh co-ordinator and one of the nine arrested, in a letter to The Scotsman said: "What is it about the current Labour Government that it is unable to tolerate any criticism of its policies and actions? And why is it frightened to engage openly and honestly in proper debate with the citizens of this country, especially about an issue as controversial as compulsory identity cards and the setting up of a vast, intrusive database state? …the government prefers to organise its own heavily controlled focus group meetings and private consultations away in the shadows."

+ Poynter Review of HMRC Data Loss released +
Last week a report was released by Kieran Poynter, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, into the loss of child benefit records at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last year. The report points out that: "There was a general lack of awareness across HMRC Business Units, at least prior to the incident, of the importance of information security." It goes on to reveal: "a great deal of work will be required to bring HMRC up to and to sustain the world class standard for information security to which it now properly aspires".
Read the extremely dull report at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/0/1/poynter_review2...8.pdf

+ Biometric Assurance Group calls for ID scheme privacy issues to be addressed +
The Biometrics Assurance Group (BAG) has released its annual report which sets out the group's examination of the government's work on biometrics during 2007, focusing particularly on the national identity scheme. The report recommends: "that proper attention be paid to the privacy/consent issue across the National Identity Scheme, BAG considered that the issue was not fully addressed by the publication of the Strategic Action Plan and that the public needed to be better informed over this".
Read the report at http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/FINAL-BAG-annu...0.pdf

+ Austria sets the pace for ID slogans +
The home page of the Austrian government’s e-government website (http://www.help.gv.at) shows the sort of excitement they hope the people of Austria will have for their ID scheme. Their banner features people jumping for joy and is emblazoned with the slogan: "Get yourself activated … get an electronic ID card!" Meanwhile the UK ID web site has gone with a much more sedate: "Everyone’s unique. Let us keep it that way." After all of the recent data losses perhaps they should use: "Everyone’s unique. Let’s see how long that lasts."
"ID" in the news

+ Access to NHS care records to be widened - eHealth Insider 3/7/08 +
The Department of Health is to review the scope of access to the NHS Care Records Service, including possibly making them available to non-NHS staff.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/3915/access_to_nhs_care_records_to_be_widened

+ Agreement to speed up travel between the UK and US - News Distribution Service 2/7/08 +
The Home Office today announced plans to speed up travel between the UK and the US for trusted people who move regularly between the two countries. The new scheme would benefit trusted travellers who travel frequently between the two countries, underlining the importance of speedy travel between the UK and the US.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=3727...aID=2

+ Will Scots be willing to carry identity cards? Meg Hillier- The Scottish Herald 29/6/08 +
The Scottish Government has made clear it does not intend to use identity cards. But from 2011 there will be many in Scotland who will use the card as their main form of identification. It will be for the Scottish Government to explain why it refuses to accept this official proof of identity.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/news/display.var.23...s.php

+ We can't leave David Davis to carry the fight on his own - The Observer 29/6/08 +
A report by Independent Scheme Assurance Panel on ID cards found that not only would there be inbuilt mistakes in the database, but that poorer people would suffer a greater risk of fraud.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/29/dav...rties

+ U.S. and Europe Near Agreement on Private Data - New York Times 28/6/08 +
The United States and the European Union are nearing completion of an agreement allowing law enforcement and security agencies to obtain private information — like credit card transactions, travel histories and Internet browsing habits — about people on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/washington/28privacy....t=cse

+ FBI's all-seeing database project loses funds - The Inquirer 28/6/08 +
On Thursday, the US House Science and Technology Committee voted to deny the FBI $11 million to continue work on a massive database of government records on virtually all American citizens. The vote came after the FBI refused to tell Congress about its plans.
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/06/27/...oject

+ Government slammed by data breach reports - Information Age 26/6/08 +
The MoD and HMRC have been hit with enforcement notices from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), following the release of two damning reviews into major data breaches. The departments will be fined if they fail to adopt the recommendations in the Poynter and Burton reports, into the HMRC and MoD respectively.
http://www.information-age.com/home/information-age-tod...thtml

+ Oh well. I wasn’t using my civil liberties anyway - Ideal Government 21/6/08 +
The Economist and YouGov report on the current state of public opinion on some of our favourite issues. Despite Benjamin Franklin's famous advice, the public seems happy to trade a little liberty for a little security.
http://www.idealgovernment.com/index.php/blog/oh_well_i...yway/