Seize the day.

This was sent to me by a VERY good friend (Michelle) and I thank her for it and also for the feeling within it.
Tony

Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,

And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,

For life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows I like him just as well,

As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,

And now we are busy, tired men.

Tired of playing a foolish game,

Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim

Just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,

Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."

And that's what we get and deserve in the end.

Around the corner, a vanished friend.



Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it is the right time it might be too late.
Seize the day. Never have regrets.
And most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today.


SMILE, even through your
tears!!!!!

Another Government *&^)$£UP

Green funding farce

 

The government’s flagship green grant scheme turned in to an arid desert within 90 minutes yesterday as passionate environmentally concerned homeowners scrambled for this month’s rationed supply of grants for wind turbines and solar panels.

Last month the supply of grants ran out before midday on the 1^st, while in January they lasted until the 12^th and in December, the month in which the cap was introduced, they lasted until the 20^th. 

The cap the government has put on the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is a meagre £500,000.   

Last night the renewable energy industry accused the government of presiding over a farce and called for another £15 million pounds in order to continuously fund the LCBP until the start of its next renewable energy support scheme.

The Solar Trade Association compared the UK situation with that in Germany where small-scale renewable energy industry is well over 20 times the size of the comparable British industry and the German government has a full range of long term financial and regulatory measures in place to support their fledging small-scale renewables industry.

As a result, many German householders are actively purchasing renewable energy systems and the German industry is flourishing with new investment, the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and new factories.

But shortage of cash is not the only impediment to Britain’s green aspirations. The British Wind Energy Association said 12 out of 18 proposals had failed to win planning consent.

This will make it difficult for the UK to meet its current target of generating 10% of electricity from renewables by 2010, BWEA said, - not to mention the ambitious target of 20% that Mr Blair has now decided Britain must reach.

Hospitals cheating over patient choice,say GPs

 

Hospitals cheating over patient choice, say GPs

 

Hospitals and trusts are abusing a government computer system that allows patients to book appointments online, doctors have claimed.

Managers are allegedly limiting the list of choices open to patients in order to meet waiting time targets and save money.

The “choose and book” computer system allows GPs to discuss treatment options with patients and book appointments with hospital specialists during consultations.

But certain treatment options have been disappearing from lists as primary care trusts try to restrict the number of patients having expensive procedures in private centres.

Hospitals are also removing outpatient clinics from the lists to ensure they meet waiting time targets by clearing their books before taking on new patients.

Doctors at the British Medical Association today criticised the practice for limiting pat ient choice.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the association’s GP committee, told the Standard: “It is dishonest for the Government to keep talking about patient choice and expanding choice when primary care trusts and hospitals are hell-bent on limiting choice and gaming the system.”

Under the Government’s choice agenda patients are able to choose to be treated in an expanding list of local hospitals, private sector treatment centres and foundation hospitals.

But Dr Vautrey, who practises in Leeds, said nearby Bupa and Nuffield treatment centres had been removed from the online choose-and-book list after the local primary care trust said it could no longer afford for patients to be treated there.

Similar reports have been coming in from across the country, he said.

“The Department of Health is talking about patient choice but in reality the acute trusts and primary care trusts are practising demand management and limitation of choice because of financial problems and targets,” Dr Vautrey said.

“It is immensely frustrating for patients to find that a service that was open to them last week is not available now.

“Primary care trusts and hospitals are limiting the number of patients they treat to the the money they have got, without any regard for patients’ needs or choices.”

The Standard has revealed how hospitals are delaying treatments until after the beginning of the new financial year to avoid paying bills as they struggle to balance their books.

Many areas have also introduced “demand management systems”, where a panel of experts screens GP referrals to specialists to find cheaper alternatives for treatment, despite patients having already made their choice of preferred specialist.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “All trusts have to offer patients a choice of care in four locations, where a patient can be seen within 13 weeks when using choose and book.

"If a patient wishes to go to a hospital outside of the four offered by their GP then they are able to, providing it is clinically suitable to provide their care.”

COMMONSENSESECUITY

Common Sense Security

This site is designed to give an overview of what we can do to keep our computers safer and more secure while we are on the Internet. I have known the owner (Mark Rider) for a long time and confirm that his site is secure AND gives out some very useful advice. I can  recommend it highly.

Tony

Go, Australia!!!!

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."
"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."
"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society .. Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

 

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, British citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!
If you agree please copy and paste THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW!

Retro64 Great Games Site

Retro64

Small, independent developers have historically had a rough time competing in the computer games industry. But take my word  for it when I tell you that Retro64 can compete with AND outdo most if not all of the big boys.

Retro64, Inc. was created by a professional game developer, Michael W. Boeh, to revive the creative spirit of the C64. There games aren't Quake 3, and they don't want them to be! In There words:-

"We strive to make small, fast, polished games that take no time to learn, yet are fun to play over and over again. And while we do look back longingly at yesteryear, we understand that we want our games to play like those great games of the past- but not look that way! We use the latest hardware 3D accelerated graphics and digital stereo music to create game environments that are pleasing to the eye and ear. Sure, our games are based on concepts that are 10 years old, but they look great and are a complete blast to play."

 

"We also feel that with today's Internet technology, there is no reason for a small company to sacrifice service and support. At Retro64, we partner with only the finest services to keep our gamers happy. When you buy a game from Retro64, you can rest assured that your order is safe, and you will get your game right away. We also stand by the quality of our games and provide free technical support, even if you haven't purchased our games."

Retro64 has only begun to create great games, so look out!

THANKS TO JOE

Would like to thank Joe Chang for helping me with the problems transfering new Blogger settings
to Live Writer all is now working fine.

A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to one an` all.
May the year ahead bring all that you desire and more.
If that includes a substantial lottery win my address is available on
request.

Best Wishes
Tony

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Government fights online child abuse
The government has today launched a new law enforcement agency to tackle online child exploitation.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre headed by the former deputy director general of the National Crime Squad, Jim Gamble, will work with charities and IT firms to take down criminally obscene material from the internet.

Internet and online payment firms such as Microsoft, AOL and Visa will also co-operate with CEOP to track down internet sex offenders.

The centre will develop IT systems to track sex offenders and disseminate intelligence globally.

CEOP chief executive Jim Gamble says the launch of the new centre is the most significant development in child protection in years and is a response to an explosion in child abuse.

'What we have to understand is that behind every image online there is a child in the real world being abused. Behind every online chat there is the potential that your child may be speaking to a sex offender. That is a harsh reality,' said Gamble.

The agency will also launch an online awareness campaign to educate parents and children about the risks associated with chat rooms.

CEOP will also have direct input into the development of new security features online, which aim to make browsers and websites safer for children.

While activity by the Internet Watch Foundation has dramatically reduced the number of child abuse images hosted in the UK, paedophiles are also distributing images via chat rooms and emails.

A recent police operation seized over 750,000 obscene images, while over eight million children and young people in the UK use the internet.

'That is not to say of course that the internet isn't a great place. It is a great environment – one that is full of learning and fun opportunities. What we are saying to children, young people and parents is that by putting awareness first you will reduce the opportunities for harm,' said Gamble.

The agency will also increase its fight against the paedophiles spreading the images over the internet, he said.

'If you are a sex offender – get help or get caught. The internet will increasingly expose you to new policing powers and will cease to be the anonymous place that it once was,' said Gamble.

PLEASE NOTE



The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has set up its own young persons website which has been designed and written specifically for young people of secondary school age.

It will at a later date include content and interactive games for primary aged children.

The website is called 'thinkuknow' which you may have heard of already or seen a presentation at school. You can access the site at www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Bad Samaritan KEEPS Camera

>
This is the story about Judith and her unlost, but not yet found camera. She lost it on a trip to Hawaii, the camera had well over 500 photos on the memory card. Much to her delight she received a call from a park ranger informing her that somebody found her camera. A phone call later she found out that the camera was given to the diabetic son of the Canadian that found the camera. What is astonishing is that she actually accepts this pity excuse and works out a deal. All she wanted was her memory cards and a little bit of compensation$50 for her $500 camera to be exactfor the camera.
She received a package two weeks later that had burned CDs of the pictures and a note saying that the Canucks needed the memory card for the camera. What's a lady to do? Of course, furiously call and demand justice! The bad Samaritan didnt care and told Judith that she was lucky to get anything back at all. Should she just deal with it or further pursue some legal action?
camera unlost, but not quite found [Lost Camera Blogspot]

ING Direct cuts rate to 4.5%

While ING Direct has always boasted market-leading rates, that claim will now be quashed. Most of the accounts in This is Money's best savings rates tables beat ING Direct's 4.5% rate.

The online accounts of Sainsbury's Bank, Yorkshire Building Society, Halifax, Nationwide Leeds Building Society and Bradford & Bingley all offer a higher rate. If you're an ING Direct customer, you can search for an account with a better rate using our account finder, which is powered by our partner moneysupermarket.com

Get changing NOW

Read the letter that won the internet governance battle

Condoleezza Rice's missive to the EU
By Kieren McCarthy
Published Friday 2nd December 2005 09:07 GMT
Get breaking Internet news straight to your desktop - click here to find out how

The World Summit in Tunis last month was overshadowed by the global argument over internet governance.

Its biggest controversy came with the proposition put forward by the EU a month earlier that there be a new inter-governmental body that oversee ICANN. The US government - which currently enjoys unilateral control over the internet infrastructure - was furious and launched an enormous lobbying campaign, both public and private, across the board to retain its position.Most significant among all those lobbying efforts was a letter sent from the US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to the UK foreign minister Jack Straw acting in the role of presidency of the EU.

In the letter, Rice used strong language for a diplomatic missive, to stress how seriously the US administration was taking the issue and how determined it was to retain ICANN in overall charge of the internet. European diplomats privately confessed that the letter had a significant impact on their position.

The result was that the EU never raised its inter-governmental forum again in World Summit meetings, and the end agreement stuck with the US position.

This is the first time time the full text of that letter has been published:

Guess what just turned 34?

Googler insights into product and technology news and our culture.
Guess what just turned 34?

10/21/2005 03:19:00 PM
Posted by Paul Buchheit, Gmail Engineer

It's difficult to pin down the exact origin of email, but in October 1971, an engineer named Ray Tomlinson chose the '@' symbol for email addresses and wrote software to send the first network email.

At the time, it must not have seemed very important – nobody bothered to save that first message or even record the exact date. I've always thought that it would be fun to witness a little bit of history like that – to be there when something important happened. That's part of what drove me to join a little no-name startup named Google, and it's why I was excited when I was given a chance to create a new email product, now called Gmail.
Read on and when you get to the end you will find an invite to join the Gmail fun and Games (Well Fun Anyway)
Tony

Quote of the Week:

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. - Isaac Asimov

Quote of the Week:

The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. - Carl Sagan

Wally by Name --- A Monkey's Tale ---by Wally Payne

Not just an autobiography, Wally by Name is an entertaining and often hilarious account of the doings (and misdoings!) of a soldier in the Royal Military Police, his postings ranging from Germany to Malta, Northern Island to Cyprus and Hong Kong.

Book Description
Having been required to resign from the Leicester City Constabulary for the heinous crime of ‘gross impertinence to a member of the public’, the author crossed the road to the Army Recruiting Office and enlisted into the Royal Military Police. It was a decision that, despite the odd knock back, he was never to regret.

The volumes recount the adventures, mishaps, misdeeds and observations of a character of some notoriety, charting his journey from the NAAFI canteen to the Officer’s Mess via Germany, the UK, Malta, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and the Far East. The tongue in cheek tales are told in a ribald, sometimes bawdy, occasionally cruel and unfailingly irreverent fashion that befit a person with a chip on both shoulders. Described by one officer as ‘arrogant, selfish, self-centred and pig headed’, he never discovered any reason to change.
About the author

A defrocked police constable, Wally Payne joined the Royal Military Police in 1964 and, following an often bumpy ride on the promotion roller coaster, rose to the dizzy heights of captain before retiring from the service in 1991.

Now resident beneath a mango tree in the Philippines , he continues to undertake security work in various far flung outposts. Recent contracts have seen him plying his trade in Algeria , China , Hong Kong , Leicester , Mali , Mozambique and Thailand .

NOTE This posting is to make you aware of yet another Angry (Young) man but this one has written a book. I recommend it to you if you want a good laugh.

ALSO his second book can be found at the same location

Sri Lanka charges Oxfam £500,000 to allow in jeeps

Oxfam has had to pay £550,000 in customs duty to the Sri Lankan government for importing 25 four-wheel-drive vehicles to help victims of the tsunami, The Daily Telegraph has learned.


The sum was levied by customs in Colombo which have refused to grant tax exemptions to non-governmental organisations working to repair damage caused by the giant Boxing Day wave.

The Indian-made Mahindra vehicles, essential to negotiate damaged roads and rough tracks, remained stuck in port at Colombo for almost a month as officials completed the small mountain of paperwork required to release them. Customs charged £2,750 "demurrage" for every day they stood idle.

Oxfam said it had "no choice" but to pay the exorbitant 300 per cent import tax or face further delays to its relief operation.

Sources said that when Oxfam officials tried to reason with the government, the ministry of finance offered three options: pay the duty, re-export the vehicles or hand them over to a ministry of their choice.

Oxfam was one of the major charities to benefit from the generosity of the British public, which donated £300 million for tsunami relief under the umbrella of the Disasters Relief Committee.

It refused to comment on whether the customs payment was a fair use of donations. It said only that it "abides by the law" of the countries in which it operates, "including the tax laws".

Anger is growing in Sri Lanka among aid workers and residents who say that reconstruction is being slowed to a crawl by bureaucracy, corruption, greed and inefficiency.

An aid worker who asked to remain anonymous said yesterday: "When people watched those scenes of destruction and suffering on television they were moved to help the victims - not fill the government's coffers."







© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2005.

North-south divide: what divide?

If you thought you knew Great Britain, prepare to have your expectations blown away. This is the view of the co-ordinating author of an updated guide to Britain.

Urban regeneration in key cities has dispelled the myth that it’s 'grim up north'. Everywhere in the new North you’ll find dynamic architecture, designer hotels, cutting edge cuisine and buzzing bars and clubs, said David Else, one of the authors of Lonely Planet’s new edition.

The best-known attractions of the South are better than ever, says the guide to Britain. London has always been, and will continue to be, one of the greats with its world-class museums and galleries, vibrant nightlife and rich history. Other perennials include ever-popular Brighton, Bath and Windsor. The guide lauds the region, saying the South "has a sophisticated dynamism that belies its ‘old-style’ appearance. Inside sloping, half-timbered Tudor buildings you may find an Internet café with high-speed connections, a trendy Asian-fusion restaurant or a hip boutique hotel with the latest wallpaper."

But the North-South divide is a thing of the past. According to the authors there are equally compelling destinations beyond the Watford Gap. David Else said, "When it comes to great destinations, the North-South divide is a myth. Great Britain is now comparable to fine countries such as Italy, which boasts an array of unmissable cities like Rome, Venice, Florence, Turin and Milan."

Leeds is described as "an almost perfect reflection of the contemporary British zeitgeist" and admired for its "cutting edge couture" and "contemporary cuisine".

Manchester is described as "one of Britain’s most exciting and interesting cities" whilst Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is "supremely elegant and one of the most compelling examples of urban rejuvenation in the entire country".

Liverpool is applauded for its "great sense of spirit and togetherness at the core of the Liverpool experience… it’s hard to visit and not be affected". Glasgow is praised as one of the "few cities in Britain to have the contagious energy that you’ll find bubbling away on its streets and in its justifiably famous pubs and bars. Glasgow is a highlight of any trip".

Elsewhere the book finds the greatest appeal of the country to be the friendliness and warmth of the British people the authors encountered, stating that 'they're uninhibited tolerant, exhibitionist, passionate, aggressive, sentimental, hospitable and friendly. It hits you like a breath of fresh air.'

The introduction states Britain is a banquet, a feast of delights to make your mouth water. It's hard to believe that Scotland's snow-capped mountains, the azure waters on Cornwall's sandy beaches, the tranquil village pubs of Wales or the high energy clubs of Manchester are all in the same country - a country that takes just 12 hours to drive end to end.

The views of the authors are a world away from those of the last edition, which characterised the UK as a place of misery and rain.

High hedges set for the chop 02 June 2005

Homeowners will no longer need to suffer the misery caused by high hedges, under new legislation that came into effect on Wednesday 1 June.

The new powers mean neighbours who cannot resolve their disputes over high hedges can now ask local authorities to intervene. Local authorities, who have previously been powerless to act in such disputes, can step in to decide if the height of the hedge is unreasonable and spell out exactly what action must be taken.

Excessively high and unruly hedges can block daylight from neighbours' homes and gardens, having a negative impact on their quality of life.

The new legislation will take action against those who continually show a lack of consideration for others, although involving the local authority should remain a last resort.

Jim Fitzpatrick, minister at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said, "This legislation offers a light at the end of the tunnel for people whose lives have been made a misery from high hedges. Out of control hedges can block out the daylight from neighbours' homes and gardens, becoming a real drain on their quality of life."

Under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, local authorities have the power to intervene in disputes once a complaint has been made. The authority will decide whether the hedge is stopping someone's reasonable enjoyment of their home or garden, striking a balance between the complainant's and hedge owner's interests.

Where it is needed, the local authority will be able to serve a remedial notice to the hedge owner to identify what they must do to sort the problem out. If they fail to comply with the notice, they could be fined up to £1000.

The complainant must show they have tried to resolve the matter with the hedge owner. Complaints will only be considered where the hedge is evergreen, over two metres high and blocking out light, access or reasonable enjoyment of neighbours' property. If this is the case, local authorities will take a range of factors into account to reach a balanced decision on whether the hedge is a problem.

A fee to cover the costs will be charged by the council to the complainant at their discretion.

Other anti-social activities covered by the act include:

* Powers to disperse groups in designated areas suffering persistent and serious anti-social behaviour
* Extending powers to deal with aggravated trespass
* Simplifying powers to deal with unauthorised encampments (provided alternative sites are available)
* New mechanisms for enforcing parental responsibility for children who behave in an anti-social way in school or in the community
* Widening powers to shut down establishments that create noise nuisance
* Powers for local authorities to tackle graffiti on street furniture
* Powers to social landlords to take action against anti-social tenants including faster evictions and removing their right to buy their home
and about time too

US biometric ID request raises ID concern in UK

By OUT-LAW.com (feedback at theregister.co.uk)
Published Monday 30th May 2005 10:31 GMT

The UK government plans to issue its ID card as a passport with biometric identifiers stored in a chip – and the US wants those chips to be compatible with its own scanners, raising the possibility that US agencies could have access to the ID Card database.

The US call for biometric standardisation exceeds currently agreed international standards for airline navigation, safety and security. In 2003, it was agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that the initial international biometric standard for passports would be facial mapping, although additional biometrics such as fingerprinting could be included.

Currently, for example, all foreign visitors entering the US have their two index fingers scanned, and a digital photograph taken before they are granted entry. Most visitors are also required to obtain a visa.
Nature of the US request

Michael Chertoff, US Secretary of Homeland Security, last week said this the EU and US were close to a deal on the introduction of biometrics in passports for those seeking entry to the US, and urged the EU to ensure compatibility between EU and US biometric systems.

According to press reports, Chertoff has also asked the UK to consider chip compatibility in respect of the proposed UK national identity card scheme.

He told reporters: "It would be a very bad thing if we all invested huge amounts of money in biometric systems and they didn't work with each other."

"Hopefully, we're not going to do VHS and Betamax with our chips,” he added.
Compatibility could deliver on-line data exchange

According to The Independent newspaper, this could mean that information held on UK identity cards could be accessed in the US.

The potential for this link arises because of the decisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to promote an international standard for passports. These decisions have been reinforced by a decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Community to introduce a common format passport for member states.

The decision of the UK government to link the ID cards with the passport means that the UK's ID card will be compatible with international passport standards. According to the Passport Office website, "For many UK citizens the identity card will be issued as passports come up for renewal or for first time applications." As a result, "The Home Office, the UKPS and other government departments will now work together "to start to lay the foundations for the scheme, which will establish a more secure means of proving people's identity."

As part of this process, the UKPS "will progress its major anti-fraud and secure identity initiatives including the addition of a biometric to the British passport. So if a biometric passport is linked to the ID Card in a common format which is compatible with the USA's travel requirement, then direct USA access to the ID Card/Passport database becomes an option in relation to travel to the USA."
Lack of biometrics still a problem

The US had initially set 26 October 2004 as the date by which Visa Waiver Program travellers were supposed to present a biometric passport for visa-free travel to the US, but extended it for one year when it became clear that the 27 states that are eligible for the Program – including the UK – would be unable to comply.

Unfortunately EU countries are still unable to produce the biometrically-enabled passports, and unless the US is prepared to extend its deadline again, EU visitors to the US will soon find themselves obliged to obtain a visa before they will be granted entry.

According to reports, the US and EU are now close to a deal on the timing of the biometric passport requirement.
Biometric passports and terrorism

Biometric passports have been identified by governments throughout the world as a key factor in the fight against terrorism, and their implementation is being driven by the US.

The USA-PATRIOT Act, passed by the US Congress after the events of September 2001, included the requirement that the President certify a biometric technology standard for use in identifying aliens seeking admission into the US, within two years.

The schedule for its implementation was accelerated by another piece of legislation, the little-known Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act 2002. Part of this second law included seeking international co-operation with this standard. The incentive to international co-operation was made clear:

"By October 26, 2004, in order for a country to remain eligible for participation in the visa waiver program its government must certify that it has a program to issue to its nationals machine-readable passports that are tamper-resistant and which incorporate biometric and authentication identifiers that satisfy the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)."

Citizens from those countries belonging to the Visa Waiver Program (including many EU countries, Australia, Brunei, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Slovenia) do not require a visa, but as from 26 October last year, have been obliged to show a machine-readable passport.

Unless a further deadline extension is reached, VWP citizens entering the US after 26 October 2005 must, if their passport is issued after 26 October 2005, use a machine-readable, biometrically-enabled passport or obtain a visa.

Copyright © 2005, OUT-LAW.com (http://www.out-law.com)

OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.