AN IDENTITY card could become a prerequisite to being hired by many of Britain's biggest employers, in a move that would undermine the supposedly voluntary nature of the controversial scheme.

Thirty of Britain's largest companies are in talks with the government about making the possession of ID cards - likely to cost at least £100 each - a central part of their employment practices.

The vast government-run database supporting the ID card system could also be tied into companies' payroll and benefits networks. Serving employees could also face identity checks against the information stored on the register.

The outcome of the discussions between the Home Office and companies including the Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS and Tesco, could severely curtail the options for people who choose not to have a card when they are introduced on a voluntary basis in 2008 ...

... The cards' potentially pivotal role in employment decisions is emerging as the Home Office searches for possible uses for the card in the hope of encouraging voluntary applications, and to justify the huge cost of the ID scheme.

Critics of the plan suspect the government is putting pressure on employers to integrate the card into their business practices in order to encourage take-up.