Interrogation centre opens in Cheltenham

See Henry Porter on the state of our civil liberties:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/09/constitution

Picture: Interrogation centres set up around UK

Under the National Identity Register, it seems that 49 pieces of information will still be required by the state and that every important transaction in the citizen's life recorded. And there is a new proposal to collect 19 pieces of information, including mobile phone and credit-card numbers from people travelling abroad, which the government plans to use for 'general public policy purposes' - that is, the mass surveillance of a free people.

'It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could some day facilitate a police state.'
Bruce Schneier, American cryptographer and computer expert

As Henry Porter points out the shocking part of the move by our Government to massively intrude into our private lives is that it has occurred with almost no coherent analysis, scrutiny or opposition in Parliament, no debate about the direction of our society and only a little understanding and exposition in the media. Shame on Labour and shame on David Drew for supporting the moves.

Anyhow the Cheltenham interrogation centre is now open - one of 50 open by the beginning of this year. From now onwards when people as young as 16 apply for their first adult passport, they will have to attend their nearest interrogation centre. There they will be subject to background checks, questioning to test their story against official records, photographs, and, before long, fingerprinting. Registration on the national ID database(s) - the 'National Identity Register' or NIR - will follow.

You might still be able to avoid it by applying now for your passport as it seems there is a delay in setting up the interviews - see more at:
http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php#cheltenham