Chancellor has not approved ID card budget

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Chancellor Gordon Brown has not yet approved the embattled identity card scheme's massive budget - possibly keeping open the option to cancel the program should he become Prime Minister, the Times newspaper has reported.

While the Home Office is allowed to spend money on further identity card development, it must still gain permission from the Treasury before it issues any cards, the Times said. The first cards were set to be issued to foreign citizens residing in the UK as early as this year.

A report earlier this year said the project could cost twice the estimated budget of £5.4 billion.

But the Home Office said the budget approval was not a referral of the policy. "The Home Office, like other government departments, are required in certain cases to refer the business case for larger projects to the Treasury for approval," said a spokesperson. "There is nothing unusual in this, simply departments following the appropriate spending guidelines."

According to the Treasury, Brown has made it clear he believes identity management, including ID cards, are vital to protect the nation's security.

IT PRO previously reported that the Conservative party would scrap the scheme if elected, drawing ire from some IT groups.

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