Payne: 'It's time for new ID guidelines'

By John Harrington

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags National id cards Identity document Tony payne

Payne: ID needs looking at
Payne: ID needs looking at
A trade leader says the industry and authorities should re-think which ID pubs should accept to avoid underage sales. Tony Payne suggested...

A trade leader says the industry and authorities should re-think which ID pubs should accept to avoid underage sales.

Tony Payne suggested alternative photo ID, such as army identification documents, could be included in a revised list of acceptable identification.

It follows news that the Government has abandoned plans to make national ID cards compulsory.

It also comes after a survey of 500 late-night bars by CGA found just one third accept ID featuring the widely-recognised PASS hologram.

Currently the main trade groups, the Home Office, local authority co-ordinator Lacors and the Association of Chief Police Officers advise that licensees accept photo driving licences, passports and PASS-accredited cards.

Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, said: "I think we need to look at the list of accepted ID again and give guidelines about what people should and shouldn't accept. Would a soldier's pass do if it was photo ID?

"There have been police forces that are against the PASS cards. We would need something that's accepted by everybody — police forces, local authorities and so on — and we also need to clarify what's not acceptable."

The CGA survey, conducted for late-night trade body Noctis, found just 33% of bars accept cards with the PASS hologram. The Portman card is accepted by all 33%, while just 3% will accept Citizen Card and 11% will allow other PASS cards.

In contrast, 99% will accept passports and 98% driving licences.

"It's a very disappointing figure. We will take this seriously and investigate," said PASS chairman Robert Humphreys.

Despite dropping plans to make national ID cards compulsory for UK citizens, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said they'll be "invaluable in the fight against underage drinking".

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