Passports with biometric data would do same job and be cheaper than £5bn scheme, says former home secretary

David Blunkett, the former home secretary, believes the government should scrap plans to introduce ID cards for all, in favour of mandatory biometric passports, it was reported today.

According to the BBC, the MP for Sheffield Brightside said at the InfoSec 2009 security conference, in London, that biometric passports could do the job and that he had put the idea to the home secretary, Jacqui Smith.

The proposal represents a significant U-turn for the MP who first mooted the idea of ID cards when he was home secretary in 2001.

Asked whether ID cards could be dropped, Blunkett told the BBC: "I think it is possible to mandate biometric passports. Most people already have a passport but they might want something more convenient to carry around than the current passport and may be able to have it as a piece of plastic for an extra cost."

Using existing databases to hold the same information already gathered to issue passports could be a way of allaying fears over a new "database of information", one of the key criticisms of the ID scheme.

"People don't worry about the Passport Agency but they do worry about some mythical identity database," he said.

Last month the home secretary said government plans for introducing ID cards were "on track". But as the recession puts the squeeze on government spending, there have been suggestions that the scheme, which, it is estimated, will cost £5bn, could be dropped.

Mandatory biometric passports would be considerably cheaper, Blunkett claimed. "Most of the cost is borne by the person purchasing the passport."

The government began issuing passports containing biometric information in March 2006.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, has already suggested ID cards would be scrapped if his party won power in the general election.