LONDON: The British Government intends to proceed with Prime Minister Tony Blair's plans to introduce high-tech national identity cards despite suffering a setback when the House of Lords voted against them.

The Lords voted on Monday to force the government to provide more details on the cost of the controversial scheme.

The vote, carried by a majority of 81 in the unelected upper chamber, could hold up the cards, which the government says are designed to combat fraud and terrorism.

The government says it has already explained the costs and benefits, and a new probe would be costly and cumbersome.

"We have put figures in the public domain. We have been quite clear about how much it will cost to issue people with a biometric passport and a biometric identity card," Home Office Minister Andy Burnham told Channel 4 news.

The Lords also inflicted two other defeats on the bill, voting to demand a secure and reliable method of recording and storing citizens' personal data, and to change wording on the use of cards in controlling access to state benefits.

The government says existing laws are enough to ensure the data is safe.

The cards with data for fingerprint, iris and face recognition technology are among the world's most ambitious experiments in biometric identification, and their roll-out could be used as a model for other countries.

The government argues ID cards are essential to combat identity theft, abuse of the state benefits system, illegal immigration, organised crime and terrorism. But opponents say the scheme is unworkable, costly and undermines civil liberties.

Britons would initially be expected to buy the cards when they apply for a passport.

Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland estimated the cost of a joint passport and identity card would be 93 pounds (US$163) while a stand-alone ID card would cost 30 pounds (US$52) at current prices.

"The government has already made clear that the scheme will be self-financing ... We've already set the anticipated parameters," she told the Lords during a debate. The government says accountants KPMG have backed up its sums.

But opposition Lords cited reports that put the cost much higher. Academics at the London School of Economics last year estimated the scheme could cost up to 19 billion pounds (US$33 billion), meaning cards could cost up to 300 pounds (US$528) each to produce.

Source: China Daily