THE introduction of ID cards is unlikely to curb the numbers of illegal asylum seekers trying to enter the UK, a government immigration minister has conceded.

Junior minister Tony McNulty said that ID cards on their own would not be enough to limit numbers entering the country through ports in Kent.

But he insisted that ID cards coupled with the plans to change the system of checking people in and out of the country with ‘e-borders’ would ease the pressure on ports such as Dover.

In an interview, the minister told the Kent Messenger Group: "ID cards will not help in all these matters but by 2008 we will be implementing e-borders and visas with biometric data that will allow us to make checks far more thoroughly."

His comments come as the Government was facing up to a revolt over its ID card plans (June 28) with some Kent MPs indicating they intented to rebel.

The minister denied that the cards could amount to a "snooper’s charter" for the government and insisted safeguards were in place to stop such abuse.

"There is more personal information stored on your supermarket loyalty card than there will be on an ID card. There are very clear penalties for anyone who would seek to abuse the system and we are not going to allow the amount of information to be stored to grow like Topsy."

He rejected a claim by the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas that the cards represented an unwarranted intrusion into people’s personal lives.

"I simply do not understand that. The law on ID cards should not be seen in isolation. There is a range of other laws such as the Data Protection Act that protect individuals."

On the issue of costs, the minister said the Government did not want to see the price - estimated at £93 each - to increase but there would have to be a fees regime to take account of those who did not have a passport.