Students will be required to carry ID cards before they can obtain loans for university, education secretary Charles Clarke has told MPs.

Government Response: Home Office

A spokesperson for the Home Office said:     "The exact requirement for the production of ID cards would be spelt out in legislation at a later date."

Party Response: Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis said: "ID cards are going to be expensive, bureaucratic and a danger to civil liberties.

"Universities are in desperate need for more funding. Now they have to install expensive equipment to read these flawed pieces of plastic.

"First Labour forces students into mortgage style debts by introducing top-up fees. Then they force universities into switching from existing ID checks to the government's flawed scheme."

Forum Response: British Youth Council

British Youth Council chairwoman Blossom Young said: "BYC deplores the government's attempts to introduce compulsory ID cards through the back door. We support the introduction of a voluntary entitlement card.