Almost entirely off-topic rant - apologies in advance:::

[David_Biggins@usermgmt.com]

More of this government's abuse: 
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26305.html> 
	The widespread fingerprinting of UK primary school children has
been roundly condemned by watchdog Privacy International. 
	The human rights watchdog today warned that tens of thousands of
UK school children are being fingerprinted by schools, often without the
knowledge or consent of their parents. 
	This under-reported electronic finger printing is being
conducted as part of a cost cutting "automation" of school libraries.
Privacy International has condemned the procedure, branding it
"dangerous, illegal and unnecessary". 
	As many as 200,000 primary and high school children from the age
of seven have already been finger printed. Supplier Micro Librarian
Systems estimates that its technology, which is similar to
identification systems used in US prisons and by the German military, is
in use by 350 schools throughout the country. 
AND JUST HOW LONG BEFORE THIS INFORMATION IS PASSED TO THE POLICE
NATIONAL COMPUTER? 
Perhaps under some trivial rider to the next education bill, giving the
Home Sec or Sec of Ed. the right to make use of school records in such
manner as he sees fit in the public interest? 
You know - just like the one they used in the Health & Social Care Bill
to allow the Health Sec to choose when to route all DNA test results to
the PNC? 

## dave ##