No time for ID cards before May election

Ministers are today set to abandon attempts to force the identity cards plan into law before the election.

Insiders say the Government has failed to set aside enough time for the scheme to be pushed through Parliament before the expected 5 May polling day.

The ?3billion scheme suffered a setback yesterday after Conservatives withdrew their support. Although it cleared the Commons with a 160 majority last night, it faces a mauling from peers.

Tony Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke insist identity cards are vital to combat terrorism, despite bitter opposition from many MPs. They say the biometric cards - expected to cost about ?85 each - will also combat benefit fraud and scams involving false identity.

However, unless parliament business managers make urgent time for the debate, the legislation has no hope of becoming law before the expected election.

Today it emerged that there is still no slot in the Lords timetable. A source said: "I have seen the schedule up until early March and it simply does not appear anywhere. Our impression is the Government has decided there are bigger priorities to get through before the election and ID cards are going nowhere."

The first identity cards are due to be launched in 2008, initially on a voluntary basis.

The Conservatives - who insist they still support the plans "in principle" - abstained from yesterday's vote in a row over small print.

The party claims there has not been enough time to debate new measures and has warned it should not be expected that the Bill will pass through the Lords unchallenged.

Even if the Government pulled out all the stops the Bill would take several weeks to go through the Lords.