[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.57

Thu Oct 26 15:34:20 BST 2006

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    NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 57 - 26th October 2006

*Contacting us:* Call or email the office - 020-7793-4005 or 
(office at no2id.net). Please do not reply to this email. (The from address 
is the not a working email address)

      THE HUNT FOR ID INTERROGATION CENTRES

Once again we need your help tracking down the ID interrogation centres 
due to open at 69 locations around the UK[1] next year. The contract to 
supply the offices was won by Mapeley[2]. The exact locations of the 
centres has not been revealed but they can be ascertained via planning 
applications and then our local groups can lodge objections to the 
applications. Last weekend in a heroic tight-deadline effort, NO2ID 
Cambridge managed to reach two local residents and get them to put in 
written objections before Monday's deadline in Ipswich. As we find more 
planning applications - or as Mapeley submits them - theses initial 
deadlines are likely to come thick and fast. There is thread on the 
NO2ID forums[3] where people are currently posting interrogation centre 
planning applications as they discover them (this information will 
shortly be moved to a page of its own on the main website). Please look 
out for local council planning application notices. If you have any 
information then please post it to our forum or contact us at 
(office at no2id.net). We would also like advice from anyone with any 
planning expertise and able to give us some hints on how to draft good 
objections to the applications.

Many thanks to all those who have volunteered to set up new groups in 
towns due an interrogation centre, we are still looking for more groups 
in the remaining locations[4].

References:

[1] Map of centres - 
http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,295266,00.jpg
[2] See 'Passport offices deal won by Mapeley' in Newsletter 41
[3] Planning application details on our forum - 
http://forum.no2id.net/viewtopic.php?t=13329
[4] The remaining locations are: Aberdeen, Andover, Armagh, 
Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blackburn, Boston, Bury St Edmunds, Camborne, 
Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Crawley, Derby, Dover, Exeter, Hastings, 
Ipswich, Kendal, Kilmarnock, Kings Lynn, Lincoln, Liverpool, Luton, 
Maidstone, Middlesbrough, Newport, Northallerton, Northampton, Norwich, 
Oban, Omagh, Peterborough, St Austell, Stirling, Stoke on Trent, 
Warwick, Wick, Wrexham, Yeovil.

      What's next?

        Local groups

We have a new local groups in Dumfries, one of the places earmarked for 
an ID interrogation centre. The groups can be contacted at 
(dumfries at no2id.net). We now have local groups up and running or being 
setup in 31 out of the 69 locations of the interrogation centres which 
are due to open next year. To campaign effectively against ID cards and 
the National Identity Register it is essential that we have local groups 
in each of the towns that will host these centres. If you live in one of 
these locations and there is not currently a local NO2ID group in your 
area then please consider helping us by setting up a local group. A full 
list of local groups can be found at www.no2id.net/localGroups

        Act now to avoid being fingerprinted for a pint!

A Home Office-backed and instigated fingerprinting pubs scheme is being 
expanded from Yeovil to Coventry, Hull, Sheffield, Leeds, Gwent, 
Nottingham, Taunton and possibly Swindon. Drinkers in Yeovil have their 
thumbprints scanned before they enter seven participating pubs. They 
must also supply their name, address and date of birth when they 
enrolled onto the system. If you are in any of the towns affected, 
especially Yeovil, and are willing to do something then send an e-mail 
to phil at no2id.net (please put "pub fingerprinting" in the Subject, as I 
get a lot of mail). It appears that Yeovil council have coerced some 
pubs into cooperation by threatening to revoke their licence, so we've 
asked one of the large beer-drinker's organisations if they'd do 
something about this - and they agreed. Full announcement in due course. 
Don't get depressed, don't give in and get a home-brew kit - get angry 
and DO something!

        1st Tuesday of the month - Hackney NO2ID monthly meetings

The Hackney local group covering London E8, E5, E9 & N16 areas meet on 
the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 in Cafe Bohemia by Hackney 
Central Station. New support very welcome to help raise awareness over 
the coming months.

        NO2ID Cambridge Campaign stall

Cambridge NO2ID will be running Saturday street stalls outside Cambridge 
Guildhall from 10am onwards on 4th November, and every third Saturday 
into the new year. Location: (http://tinyurl.com/eo42r). Volunteers to 
help very welcome - contact Andrew Watson via cambridge at no2id.net, or on 
07710 469624.

        Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh Campaign stall

After a short break during the Edinburgh Festival NO2ID Edinburgh has 
resumed its regular Princes Street campaigning stall on Saturdays. We 
shall be at our usual location at the east end of Princes Street, 
opposite the Balmoral Hotel, from 1pm - 3pm this coming Saturday.  We 
use our stall to raise public awareness of the Identity Cards scheme, 
collect donations and entries for the NO2ID petition, and also to 
increase membership of our group.  Please do pop by for a chat if you 
happen to be around.   We shall be aiming to have the stall up and 
running most Saturdays, and new volunteers are always very welcome. You 
can see photos of our stall and contact details at: 
www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/.

        27th October - NO2ID Volunteers Meeting Central London - 'ID in
        history'

Friday, 27th October at 7.00pm in the Brockway Hall at Conway Hall, 25 
Red Lion Square, London WC1 (nearest tube: Holborn). All are welcome to 
NO2ID's next regular volunteers' meeting. The meeting will be on the 
theme of ID cards in history. The meeting is free to attend but we will 
be asking for donations to help cover the cost of the room hire.

        29th October - NO2ID Galashiels Kick-off Meeting

Sunday, 29th October at 3pm in the function room, 1st floor, King's 
Hotel, 56 Market Street, Galashiels, TD1 3AN. The meeting will provide 
an opportunity for people to learn more about the issue, as well as 
discussing what actions can be taken locally to aid the campaign. It is 
hoped that the meeting will result in the formation of a new local group 
in this Borders town that will soon be hosting an ID/passport 
interrogation centre. Any questions: please e-mail (Scotland at no2id.net). 
Map: http://tinyurl.com/yhb37p

        2nd November - Swindon NO2ID meeting

Thursday, 2nd November - 7.30pm at the Clifton Inn, Clifton street (off 
Kings Hill). Very informal. Everyone  welcome. For more details contact 
swindon at no2id.net

        13th November - Shrewsbury NO2ID meeting in Telford

Monday, 13th November at the White Horse in Ironbridge, at 8.15pm on 
Monday 13th November. The landlords are anti-ID and they serve excellent 
beer. For more details contact shrewsbury at no2id.net or just show up on 
the night.

        14th November - Highbury NO2ID Informal Meeting

Tuesday, 14th November 6.30 for a 7pm start at Jorene Celest on 153 
Upper Street.  All welcome!

        25th November - Defy-ID National Gathering

Saturday, 25th November, from 11am onwards at The Sumac Centre in 
Nottingham. Meeting to discuss opposition to ID Cards and the National 
ID Register. This is not so much a public meeting to discuss the overall 
implications of the ID scheme, as a planning day of how we are going to 
stop it. See http://www.nottingham-defy-id.org.uk/gathering

        29th November - NO2ID Public meeting: Civil liberty vs. the
        database state

Wednesday, 29th November, 7.00pm - 9.00pm at Clore Lecture Theatre, 
Huxley Building, Imperial College - Queen's Gate/Prince Consort Road, 
South Kensington, London SW7. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, QC, MP and Henry 
Porter (further speakers to be confirmed), consider where we go from 
here. The Identity Cards Act 2006 is law, and must be repealed, but 
meanwhile the government is already working on extending its scope, 
through "information sharing" across the public sector and an "Identity 
Management Action Plan" to be produced by the end of this year. What new 
threats does this offer to personal liberty? How can the slide to the 
database state be halted? Open to all.

        29th November - Channel 4 documentary to look at ID cards

A documentary looking at privacy intrusive technology is to be broadcast 
on Channel 4 in November. In the programme, called 'We Know Where You 
Live', journalist Henry Porter will explore how a number of new 
technologies are being used to support an authoritarian push against our 
privacy and civil liberties  - including ID cards. The documentary will 
air on 20th November at 9pm and 29th November at 10pm on More 4.
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      What just happened?

        NO2ID Edinburgh at the Scottish National Party Conference, Perth

NO2ID campaigners attended the SNP Conference in the Perth Concert Hall 
earlier this month. NO2ID Edinburgh was there in time to set up its 
campaigning stall by the entrance during the couple of hours when 
delegates were arriving and the media circus was getting into full 
swing.  The SNP is, of course, firmly opposed to identity cards, and so 
there were many welcome expressions of support from delegates. Jimmy 
Reid of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders fame and a recent convert to the SNP 
made a brief friendly aside as he entered the conference hall.

        NO2ID's new Activ8 film

NO2ID launched a new film on the Community Channel website last week as 
part of 'Activ8'. The film, 'In the name of security', which is in two 
parts is a dark vision of an all-too-possible future under the 
government's proposed ID scheme. A slightly longer version than the one 
on the Community Channel site can check be seen at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9fSLlJQRKU. Many thanks to Ric Forster 
and all those involved for the fantastic film and for allowing us to use 
it. Activ8 is a joint venture set up by the Community Channel and BBC 
Action Network. The project will follow eight social activists and their 
campaigns on TV, the web and broadband for the next 12 months.
See http://www.communitychannel.org/content/view/908/101/

        NO2ID's Guy Herbert writes Times op-ed piece

Last week the Times published an op-ed piece by NO2ID's general 
secretary Guy Herbert on the dangers of ID cards and the 'stalker 
state'. Guy eerily described the modern state as a stalker that knows 
everything you do and uses CCTV cameras and the growing number of 
databases to control the population. Guy pointed out that: "a controlled 
society is a fearful, passive one, where the desire for safety strangles 
change because people are afraid to stand out, to move off approved 
paths". Guy will be speaking at the Battle of Ideas, organised by the 
Institute of Ideas with The Times, on October 28-29 ( see 
www.battleofideas.co.uk).
See http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2410540,00.html

        UKIPS staff strike as passports rise but pay doesn't

On October 13th a one day strike involving up to 2,500 members of the 
Public and Commercial Services Union(PCS) working for the UK Identity 
and Passports Service (UKIPS) caused severe disruption across the UK. 
Over 95% of appointments cancelled and only a handful of passports were 
issued. Staff are angry that whilst the cost of a passport has gone up 
by 50% in the last twelve months many have seen their pay rise below the 
cost of inflation by just 1%. It will be interesting to see what effect 
poor industrial relations at UKIPS have on the forthcoming ID 
interrogations centres opening next year around the country.
See http://www.pcs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=905189

        RFIDs: Europeans want legislation

Only 15% of the respondents to the European Commission's online 
consultation on RFIDs think that industry self-regulation would be 
enough to protect their privacy. 55% want the EU to legislate on the 
issue. The figures were announced by Information and Media Commissioner 
Viviane Reding in Brussels on 16 October, at the end of the consultation.

        UKIPS wont test biometrics

It has emerged that the UK Identity and Passport Service(UKIPS) won't be 
testing biometrics properly before they launch live ID cards. UKIPS were 
also slated by the House of Commons Science &Technology committee and 
have been forced to publish a mealy-mouthed response - using it as an 
excuse to attack yet again the LSE, who have (coincidentally) just 
published a report on the government's recent so called 'Dobson' cost 
report.
See 
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2167262/id-test-plans-fuel-controversy

        Captain pop sings against ID cards

An anti-ID card song and video, 'Your Papers Please', has been released 
by Captain Pop. The track is from their album 'Shutup and sing' which is 
available from their website. Captain Pop describe themselves as "a 
co-operative crew of musicians and singers in love with Pop music". 
Captain Pop resides in 4 different counties spread around the UK. Some 
of them have played with mighty big bands on TOTP, others play the local 
pub. The band also have details of forthcoming gigs on their website. 
See http://www.captainpop.com for more details and watch the video at: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FACF4zw4CG4

        Freedom to fascism on DVD

Aaron Russo's film 'America: Freedom to Fascism' has been released on 
DVD. The film looks at, amongst other things, ID cards and the 
surveillance society. The DVD can be ordered from the film's website and 
costs around £19 including postage to the UK. See http://www.buyaftf.com
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      "ID" in the news

        Government conceals ID cards reviews - Computer Weekly 24
        October 2006

The government this week strengthened its opposition to disclosing the 
Gateway reviews of the ID cards programme, arguing that publishing any 
information about the reviews could undermine their usefulness. Last 
week, Computer Weekly disclosed that the Home Office is spending 
tax-payers' money to fight an order from the information commissioner, 
Richard Thomas to publish the reports.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2006/10/24/219362/Government+conceals+ID+cards+reviews.htm

        DNA database 'should include all' - Daily Telegraph 24/10/2006

Tony Blair called yesterday for the national DNA database to be expanded 
to include every citizen. He said there should be no limit on the 
development of the database because it was vital for catching serious 
criminals. Downing Street said later that no thought had been given at 
this stage to requiring everyone to give a DNA sample, although they 
will have to give scans of their eye and fingerprints for a passport and 
eventually a national identity card.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/24/ndna24.xml

        Passport police wipe smiles off applicants' faces -
        TheRegister.com 24/10/06

The Identity and Passport Service [UKIPS] shredded the travel plans of 
their sometime nemesis - Simon Davies of campaign group Privacy 
International. On Monday he [...] was told he couldn't renew his 
passport [...] because an inch of laminate covering the data page of his 
passport had come free.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/25/pedantic_passport/print.html

        Estonian eID card passes 1 million threshold - europa 23/10/06

The number of eID cards issued in Estonia has exceeded 1 million. Nearly 
90% of the Estonian population between the ages 15 and 74 now has a 
valid eID card. Mari Pedak noted that a number of changes will be made 
as a result of early experiences with the card. In particular, from 
January 2007, the validity period of the card will be reduced from ten 
years to five, while the validity of the certificates on the chip will 
be extended from three years to five.
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/6216/194

        ID cards plan remains "worryingly vague" - Silicon 23/10/06

The government's ID cards plan and cost estimates remain "worryingly 
vague", according to academics at the London School of Economics (LSE). 
The LSE response follows the Home Office's first "section 37" report, 
which will be given to parliament every six months, on the latest cost 
estimates for the UK's national ID cards scheme.
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39163460,00.htm

        Government plays safe with ID card roll-out - Computer Weekly
        20/10/06

The government yesterday confirmed that it intends to de-risk its £5.4bn 
ID card programme by rolling the project out in a gradual incremental 
way rather than take a big bang approach. The Treasury has appointed Sir 
James Crosby, former chief executive of HBOS, to head a group of public 
and private sector specialists to make recommendations on identity 
management by Easter next year.
http://tinyurl.com/yf9myg

        The limits of liberty: We're all suspects now - The Independent
        19/10/06

Identity cards. Number-plate surveillance. CCTV. Control orders. The 
list of ways in which the Government has sought to manipulate and define 
the limits of our liberty grows ever longer. The trouble is that it's 
happening so very quietly, so very discreetly that few really see it. 
You have to concentrate very hard to understand what's going on and put 
the whole picture together because so much has been buried in obscure 
corners of legislation.
http://www.rinf.com/columnists/news/must-read-the-limits-of-liberty-were-all-suspects-now

        Academics set up wiki to monitor NHS IT - eHealth Insider 18/10/06

The 23 academics who wrote to Parliament outlining their concerns about 
the progress of the National Programme for IT have set up a wiki to 
track media reports and act as a resource for NHS IT. The NHS 23 wiki, 
available at http://editthis.info/nhs_it_info/, features links to 
articles tracking problems with various suppliers and coverage of the 
academics' open letter and the agreed statement.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=2204

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - 
Editor(newsletter at no2id.net) )
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      What you can do

You can help us by:

        1. Getting involved with local groups

Organise leafleting, a stall or a public meeting to educate the public 
about the database that lies behind the proposed ID card scheme. We are 
particularly keen to set up groups in the location of the 69 ID 
interrogation centres.
See http://www.no2id.net/localGroups

        2. Joining NO2ID or donating to the campaign

Please join NO2ID, if you are not already a paid-up member. (There's a 
membership form at http://www.no2id.net/downloads/membForm.pdf) OR 
Donate some money towards campaign expenses. NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 
Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ

* We also maintain a list of things you can do on our website at 
http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/other.php
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Publication details: © NO2ID 2006 - This document may be freely 
redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as 
it is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be 
mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.

NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ
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