"But the government's love affair with databases as the cure for all ills has not ended.

Wills told the House the proposals would be redrafted and will be reintroduced at some point in the future - as predicted by our own Monsieur Ozimek ten days ago."

they'll keep at it until they are not able to anymore, once they've gone from power. soon.

and let this be a lesson to any successive leader. mess with our rights to freedom and privacy and you'll be outta there!!

-flames for firing the uk gvt.

As Christopher Lee's Fu Manchu liked to say.

I've no doubt this notion will surface again, tacked on to some bill its also totally irrelevant to.

Odd, I though Jack Straw was the Minister for Justice. When did they re-shuffle him?

Mine's the one with the old DVD in the pocket.

The F**ng weasels will wait until there's another good day to bury bad news and slip it out. This bunch of idiots makes me so mad.

John Smith: how could you!

Michael Wills is, indeed, a Minister at the Ministry of Justice, along with David Hanson.

Jack Straw is Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice - and would undoubtedly be very unamused to be demoted to the ranks of mere Ministers.

The department also has four pussies (aka Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State...PUSS's). Those who reject the fnaar fnaar tendency in politics should cease reading here.

Two of the Pussies are women - Maria Eagle and Bridget Prentice.

One of the pussies is also a Willy. Yes... Lord Willy Bach is Parliamentary Under-Secretary, etc. at the MoJ.

Last of the four - and the one to watch when it comes to ID Cards and the "Respect agenda" is Shahid Malik.

Sorted.

Paris... cause she knows a thing or two about Parliamentary Under-Secretaries, etc. .... (fnaar fnaar).

"proper process of parliamentary scrutiny" is parliamentary code for

"OK. We've been rumbled this time. But we can always slip it in some other Bill. We only have to get lucky once to get it passed. And you missed all the other wet-brained stuff that now only the Lords can stop (Mandatory CCTV for all pubs springs to mind). Enjoy your victory while it lasts."

more or less.

@John Ozimek

I'll blame the BBC's tendency for verbal short hand to describe all senior elected officials at a Minstry as ministers. Blaming the BBC seems to work for lots of other people.

Thanks for the general outline of the senior management, or Straw's goon squad as I shall think of them.

"Shahid Malik" as one to watch. Noted, although not on a database, which would be an infringement of the DPA.