ID card rollout begins

[Ian Batten]

>
> Yes, but the expectation of "appears" may well change as ID Cards  
> become the norm.

If so, you'd expect guidance to employers for handling existing ID to  
have been tightened up, and it hasn't.  The classes of people for whom  
ID must be checked have expanded, but not the ID processes  
themselves.  I've been working with our HR department on some of the  
DPA implications of what we're now expected to retain (we have the  
added complexity of having a constant flux of Japanese visitors,  
staying for anything from three months to five years).

> And all employers would be expected to use reasonable diligence to  
> ensure that the documents proferred for identification were genuine.

``appears'' is a lot weaker than ``reasonable diligence''.  I read it  
as ``at first blush''.

>
> But it could be entirely reasonable to expect largish companies  
> offering, for example, cleaning services to the Home Office to do it.

That depends if their concern is preventing illegal working or wanting  
clearance.   If it's the latter, the documents will be examined by  
someone trained and with access to staff with deeper skills, even for  
obtaining BS.

ian