Leaked memo reveals end of youth ID card

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The Department for Education and Skills is scrapping the youth opportunity card, a leaked memo has revealed.

The children's minister, Beverley Hughes, has decided to cancel the youth opportunity card, a multi-million pound scheme designed to tackle teenage anti-social behaviour, because of concerns over value for money and IT problems.

The leaked memo stated that the project, seen as a trial run for the ID cards project, is not believed to be viable because,
"the costs far outweigh the money being provided to young people, considerable risks and uncertainties remain and there is no off-the-shelf solution or one that can be developed with certainty at the present time.

"Therefore the Minister does not believe that going ahead with the card at this point in time would provide value for money."

Government sources reckon that the project has already cost the government somewhere in the region of £3-4m.

The DfES has so far made no comment.