CHARLES CLARKE promised to set a maximum figure for the cost of an identity card as he hinted at a string of concessions to secure a narrow victory for the legislation last night.

In a key admission, the Home Secretary suggested that if the cards eventually became compulsory they could be made free. Facing a wave of concerns from Labour MPs he said: “It is best that we do give the assurance of a cap.”

“It would be ridiculous to have an expensive card which people were, in some sense, forced to buy. But that is not what we will have.”

A total of 20 Labour rebels joined the Tories and Lib Dems to vote against the Second Reading of the Identity Cards Bill, reducing the Government’s majority to 31. It passed by 314 votes to 283.

Labour rebels gave notice that they would fight on against the scheme during its later Commons stages. John McDonnell, chairman of the Socialist Campaign Group, said: “This is only the beginning of the battle. Such ill thought-out legislation will inevitably face difficulties throughout its passage and we will be using every parliamentary tactic available to force the Government to re-think.”

A later vote on the timetable of the Bill passed with an even slimmer majority of 27, with MPs concerned that too little time was being allowed for debate. Mr Clarke had earlier attacked some of the “fantastic” figures that had been quoted over the cost.

But his promise of a ceiling on the price of the card left open questions about how the Government would finance the scheme if income from it failed to meet the cost, which has been put by ministers at £5.8 billion, although other estimates have gone as high as £18 billion.

Mr Clarke, in a speech during which he allowed numerous interventions, was assailed with questions about the scheme and given a taste of the strong feelings when the loyalist Labour MP David Winnick (Walsall North) told him that if there were a free vote on the Bill it would be thrown out.

Mr Clarke insisted that ID cards would act as a “bulwark against the Big Brother society”, and he told critics that they would provide “real benefits to the individual and society” by limiting the scope for identity theft. He acknowledged that there were practical concerns over the legislation and offered to look at resolving them later.David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, accused the Government of chipping away at the basic liberties of its citizens.

• The ID card scheme will have benefits of up to £1.1 billion a year through reducing crime, increasing immigration control and preventing fraud, according to two documents published by the Home Office last night.

  THE 20 REBELS

  Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington); Katy Clark (Ayrshire North and Arran); Frank Cook (Stockton North); Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North); Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich); Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent Central); Paul Flynn (Newport West); Ms Kate Hoey (Vauxhall); Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North); Ms Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate); Dr Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak); John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington); Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway); Linda Riordan (Halifax); Ms Clare Short (Birmingham Ladywood); Alan Simpson (Nottingham South); John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan); Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby); David Winnick (Walsall North); Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)

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