SIR – I would like to counter the flimsy arguments for ID cards from James Hall, the chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service (Letters, February 27).

Mr Hall claims the alleged benefits are: Protecting us against identity fraud? Let’s just imagine all our personal information was on one database rather than spread across many as it is today. Having ‘a one-stop shop’ for all our data would be an open invitation to identity thieves, as the IT giant Microsoft has warned. If somebody stole your identity including biometric data, what then? Do you get a new eye and thumb?

Protecting us from criminals? Sorry, but I don’t see how carrying an ID card is going to make a criminal any less of a criminal, and what if that criminal had fake ID, or your ID?

Protecting us from terrorists? If someone wants to blow themselves up, how is carrying a card going to deter them from doing that?

Stopping illegal immigration? If someone is in the country illegally, then the Government is not aware they are here, so they are unlikely to be able to issue them an ID card, are they?

Jason Smith, Bradford NO2ID co-ordinator, Bradford Resource Centre, Chapel Street, Bradford