GCHQ IT Security Expert Slams Government Claims About I.D Cards

Gordon Brown's claims for the £4.5billion ID cards project have been disputed by one of the Government's own electronic security experts.

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have repeatedly said that ID cards will help thwart terror attacks.

Mr Brown said a national ID card scheme could 'disrupt terrorists' while Miss Smith has claimed ID cards will be a 'robust defence' against terrorists using false identities.

But Harvey Mattinson, a senior consultant at the IT security arm of GCHQ, the Government's listening station, said the claims were 'absolute bunkum'.

Mr Mattinson, who works for CESG - formerly the Communications-Electronics Security Group - said their usefulness would be primarily sharing information between government departments.

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