Ministers try to hide £500m rise in ID cards

Under the cover of Tony Blair's resignation speech, a report was published revealing the estimated price of the scheme has increased by £640million in six months.

Critics said the 13 per cent rise would add an extra £12 to the previous estimate of £93 for each card.

The public will have no option but to pay the fee once the cards are issued alongside passports from

Opposition parties accused the Home Office of breaking the law to hide the rising cost.

Ministers had a legal duty to update Parliament on the price of the scheme at the end of March.

Instead, they waited more than a month to slip out the details at the same time as the Prime Minister - the project's chief supporter - was announcing when he would leave office.

Speaker Michael Martin yesterday promised an investigation.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "The public will see through this transparent and pathetic attempt to bury bad news.

"It is also no surprise the Government has had to revise their cost estimate up by so much in less than a year and undermines their criticism of the independent London School of Economics cost estimate of up to £20bn."

The report, placed on the Home Office website, increases the ten-year cost of the scheme from £4.91billion to £5.55billion.

Officials blamed the rise on staffing costs and inflation.

A separate scheme for foreign nationals will cost £200million, the report revealed.

The Foreign Office will also be expected to pick up a bill of £510million for providing consular services related to issuing ID cards or passports overseas.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said the bad news was "illegally postponed", illustrating the "depths of cynicism" to which ministers were resorting to force through the scheme.

The Civil rights group Liberty said the "dangerous and expensive" card plan should leave Downing Street with its author.

ID cards will carry biometric details on every Briton, as well as up to 50 pieces of sensitive information.

Home Secretary John Reid insists they will make travel easier, proof of age more convenient and proof of identity more secure.