Anyone know more about this BT "uk identity verification" scheme?

[Mary Hawking]

In article <3E66F522.20081.1193D5@localhost>, David Hansen 
<davidh@spidacom.co.uk> writes
>On 5 Mar 2003 at 21:11, Roland Perry wrote:
>
>> But they'll believe utility companies, who have *never* asked me for
>> any kind of verification of my identity.
>
>Step forward the Home Office. They know we'll just love showing the
>gas board our identity card before we can heat our new house. It will
>show us that we belong and that Big Brother loves us.
>
>> Anyway, I've looked at my Electricity bill, and there's nothing
>> remotely like a "meter point asset number" on it. Just a customer
>> number and something called a Supply Number (an 8-element grid).
>
>I assumed that the latter was what they were referring to.
>
>This daft idea will give great power to employees of utility
>companies, where these numbers are spread around almost like
>confetti.

How many people routinely shred electricity bills?
Mary Hawking
PS as a GP, I would hesitate to swear to the identity of a patient. All 
I could do would be to sign the back of a photo saying I have known this 
individual under this name over x years... provided, of course, that you 
are a frequent (or memorable) attendee at my surgery..

In addition, there are what I call "Irish ghosts"
This is what happens - and it is not a question of fraud, although no 
doubt it could be used for fraudulent purposes.
Citizens of the Irish Republic are entitled to care under the NHS.
Someone comes over , registers with a GP, gets assigned an NHS number (I 
have no idea whether any check is made against identity, or even whether 
anyone checks whether this individual actually exists at home..)
In course of time, they go home for a few years - then return and 
register in a different practice and get *another* NHS number and 
identity... leaving the previous NHS number/identity undisturbed....

>
>--
>  David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
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>
>

-- 
K.Mary Hawking
Kingsbury Court Surgery Church Street Dunstable Beds LU5 4RS
tel 01582 663218
fax 01582 476488
email Mary.Hawking@gp-E81045.nhs.uk