COUNCILLOR Vassie would do well to read the Identity Cards Act: his allegations about the National Identity scheme (Taking liberties with our rights, Letters, January 13) are completely incorrect.

There are global moves to use biometric technology to protect our official documents to internationally-agreed standards. This has already been implemented in the new ePassports.

Only basic personal information will be held on the ID register to prove identity, such as name, nationality, age, address and gender. This is no different to what is already held by the public sector, for instance, when issuing National Insurance numbers and driving licences.

Unrelated information, such as religious beliefs, tax and medical records cannot be held.

In fact, there are strict limits in the legislation which expressly prevent this.

It is also wrong to say that the public will not know what is being kept on the register - The Data Protection Act ensures that everyone can check and correct the information that is held about them. As well as providing a convenient method to prove your identity, the scheme will also provide protection against identity fraud.

Identity fraud is a real and growing threat, and we know that it enables other crime - including terrorism. The National Identity Scheme, by linking unique biometric data to a secure database, will for the first time give our citizens a means of protecting their personal information from such abuse.

Joan Ryan MP, Home Office, Marsham Street, London.