We need to act on data

We are constantly being told by the Government that the fight against terrorism requires the gathering and storage of increasing amounts of information on everyone living in the UK.

The latest announcement concerns our travels - air travel, abroad and within Britain, and road and rail travel abroad (and no doubt rail travel within Britain very soon).

Apparently our Government is going to require us to provide up to 19 pieces of personal information whenever we travel. This will include details of credit cards, personal addresses and mobile phone numbers - the sort of information that is very useful to thieves, including those intent on stealing our identity.

When we remember the recent scandals of essential data being lost (and not yet found), we ought to be thoroughly alarmed at the prospect of being obliged to hand yet more personal information to these same authorities.

Quite apart from the vital issue of our civil liberties, which the Government seems to be intent on removing, this constant intrusion into our lives is very risky, simply because it is so difficult to make such data safe.

We also ought to be worried about the costs of these data collecting projects.

Already, a growing number of councils have passed resolutions opposing the introduction of a nation-wide identity card. Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are refusing to support the ID.

But we need to take action now against all these initiatives, whether it is the ID card or the obligation to provide 19 pieces of information before we can travel.

Dr Linda Edmondson, Shrewsbury