Fujitsu Services

Home Office welcomes Fujitsu-sponsored Faith Consultation report on ID cards

Fujitsu Services, one of Europe's leading providers of managed services for major Government IT projects, has sponsored, in association with the Home Office and the FCCC*, some detailed research into the implications of the Government's proposed identity cards scheme for faith communities.

London, 14th March 2005 — Fujitsu Services, one of Europe's leading providers of managed services for major Government IT projects, has sponsored, in association with the Home Office and the FCCC, some detailed research into the implications of the Government's proposed identity cards scheme for faith communities. A full report containing the findings of the research is to be launched today at the Palace of Westminster .

Key findings include major concerns surrounding:

• Access to enrolment centres, particularly for elderly members of communities
• Physical contact with biometric sensors, particularly fingerprint systems
• Hygiene issues in multiple use of equipment at enrolment and verification points
• Language and gender-related issues
• Possible limitations of identification posed by physical appearance and traditional dress of various faith traditions

Des Browne MP, Home Office minister of state for citizenship, commented, "These findings mirror and reinforce many of the issues that the Home Office recognises that it must consider to ensure that the scheme operates in a way that is not discriminatory. Although we are already addressing many of these issues, it is clear from this report that we need to communicate any proposed changes to a wider audience in order to ensure the public is clear as to what the ID cards will and won't do."

As a direct result of the consultation, the FCCC leaders have agreed to disseminate information throughout their communities to help ensure that the ID scheme is better understood by all its members and that its introduction is as successful as possible.

Commenting on the findings contained in the report, Roger Gilbert, Managing Director, Central Government Business Unit for Fujitsu Services said, "As a leading provider of IT services, Fujitsu is keen to understand the views of citizens and how the use of technology in major Government programmes, such as the introduction of identity cards, will affect them. We are delighted to be associated with the FCCC which we believe provides valuable input to the proposed ID card scheme"

Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said, "Faith communities constitute an important stakeholder group accessing public services in Britain . The groups have distinct issues surrounding the recording and reading of biometric data and verification in order to accommodate dress codes and appropriate conduct by officials. We are confident that the dialogue between the faith communities and the government will play a significant role in the manner by which identity cards are implemented in Britain by addressing some of the key concerns of the faith communities."

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The Faith Community Consultation Consortium (FCCC) programme, led by the Hindu Forum of Britain, is being supported by the largest umbrella bodies of each faith community, namely; the Board of Deputies for British Jews, The Muslim Council of Britain, the Network of Sikh Organisations, the Jain Sangha Europe, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, and the Bahai and Christian communities.

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A copy of the report can be obtained by contacting Ask Fujitsu on 0870 242 7998 or askfujitsu@uk.fujitsu.com

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About Fujitsu Services

Fujitsu Services is one of the leading IT services companies in Europe, Middle East and Africa . It has an annual turnover of £1.74 billion, (€2.58 billion) employs 14,500 people and operates in over 20 countries. It designs, builds and operates IT systems and services for customers in the financial services, telecom, retail, utilities and government markets. Its core strength is the delivery of IT infrastructure management and outsourcing across desktop, networking and data centre environments, together with a full range of related services, from consulting through integration and deployment.
Headquartered in London , Fujitsu Services is the European-centred IT services arm of the Fujitsu Group. The Fujitsu Group is a US$45 billion (€37 billion) leader in customer-focused IT systems and services for the global marketplace.
For more information, please see: uk.fujitsu.com

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