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Sheffield ID card tryout scheme rejected
SHEFFIELD residents will not carry identity cards just yet after councillors ruled out holding a pilot scheme in the city.
Manchester will pilot ID cards this autumn but Sheffield Council has strongly opposed any idea of holding a feasibility study here.
It means Sheffield residents won't have to carry ID cards unless the Government brings in a new law.
The ruling Lib Dems at Sheffield Council say they believe the majority of residents are not in favour of ID cards.
Council Leader Coun Paul Scriven said: "The Labour Government's plan to force compulsory ID cards on us is waste of money and it won't stop crime or terrorism.
"We fundamentally disagree with the introduction of ID cards and we believe that the majority of people in Sheffield wouldn't be interested in being volunteered as guinea pigs. Therefore I'm delighted that our proposal was passed by the council."
The Lib Dems criticised Labour councillors, who did not take part in the Town Hall debate or vote on the issue.
Coun Scriven added "I was astonished when every single Labour councillor refused to speak or vote on the issue. They are supposed to represent thousands of people in Sheffield but they won't tell us what they think on one of the biggest issues of the day."
But Labour said ID cards were something for the national Government to debate and the council should concentrate on local issues.
Labour Leader Coun Jan Wilson said: "Although the issue is clearly an important one, I think that this is a matter for the Government to debate.
"Sheffield Council would do better to spend its time discussing things which it can make decisions about.
"We did not have time to debate the Lib Dems so called flagship policy on Community Assemblies because of spending all that time on ID cards, which isn't a council decision."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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