THERE is every reason to find the notion of a national system of identification deeply worrying for the following reasons:

A national ID card is about authorisation or 'entitlement' - to borrow the Orwellian language of New Labour.

In effect, a national ID system will require British citizens to (eventually) obtain central government authorisation/permission to go about their everyday business.

Authorisation could be denied for many reasons including database errors, a suspicious transaction profile, failure to pay taxes or fines.

'Terrorism' is the new bogeyman being used to vastly erode civil liberties, freedom of movement, political expression and stifle meaningful debate -- hence the 'timely' introduction of ID cards.

This is fundamentally linked with the cabinet's Public Expenditure Sub Committee's secret green light for a "citizen information register." This could bring together all information held by the government on the 58 million people in Britain.

Already, the inevitable 'function creep' associated with social control schemes of this nature is apparent. For example, in America you can be denied a driving licence for failing to pay child support or other 'fines' and countless other 'offences.' Alarm bells should be ringing.

A national ID system can't control terrorists or illegals unless it uses software based on credit fraud detection software to block suspicious transactions and then deny the use of the ID card and notify the appropriate authorities.

Using the justification of 'terrorism' or 'asylum seekers,' the ID card will be used to track people's movements which would include car rentals and purchases, accommodations and financial services.

The implications on freedom are enormous. Such an ID card scheme is a 'stepping stone' towards gradual acceptance of microchip implants for every citizen.

Gradually 'problems' with ID cards will emerge such as fraud, being lost, stolen etc., and a 'solution' will be offered -- one injection and all your financial, medical, and identity details are tucked under skin on your wrist.

The benefits and convenience of such a sinister scheme will be trumpeted: never lose your children as they can be monitored by the Global Positioning Satellite System etc. Don't expect your government to point out the massive detriments to privacy and freedom.

There is a word for a system in which the central government of a country must authorise in advance all of its citizens' activities: 'Totalitarian.'

IAN HODGSON, Eldon Road, Blackburn.