IDENTITY AND PASSPORT SERVICE IDENTITY SERVICE PROPOSITION A JOINT VENTURE WITH THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU REPORT

IDENTITY AND PASSPORT SERVICE IDENTITY SERVICE PROPOSITION A JOINT VENTURE WITH THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU REPORT

IDENTITY AND PASSPORT SERVICE IDENTITY SERVICE PROPOSITION A JOINT VENTURE WITH THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU REPORT PREPARED FOR: Identity and Passport Service 2 Marsham Street London SW1W DF Tel: 020 705 51 R76/SG/HG/AR PREPARED BY: FDS International Ltd. Hill House Highgate Hill London N19 5NA Tel: 020 7272 7766 August 2007

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY I dentity and Passport Service (IPS) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) have developed two new potential identity services in their determination to strengthen the ways in which identity is authenticated as part of the Disclosure process. CRB s aim is to develop processes which are not only faster and more accurate than the existing one, but which also give Registered Bodies more confidence in the system. IPS wants to build public and business sector understanding of and support for the National Identity Scheme by undertaking such initiatives. The two new potential services are:- a short-term process using UK passports and IPS services linked to passports a longer-term process using ID Cards and related services. IPS and CRB arranged customer experience trials of both processes in London and five other cities, between 25 May and 26 June 2007. Volunteer participants were mainly representatives of Registered Bodies most of whom had extensive experience of the current CRB process as employers. Most also had recent experience of the CRB process as applicants being screened. Views of the existing process are that it is reasonably tight, but could be more robust, and is a little slow. The short-term Passport-linked service is seen as a major improvement on the current process. It is faster, more efficient and simpler. The electronic application reduces the risk of errors on the application form. The process is also thought to be considerably more robust and secure. Participants appreciate the importance and value of IPS taking fingerprints as well as photos in the future. The longer-term ID-linked service is rated as even stronger than the passport-linked one, and much more robust than the current process. It is thought to be more streamlined, faster and more reliable and accurate. A key strength of both new processes is that they require electronic application routes, avoiding paper data entry errors which often cause problems with the current process. The greater degree of face-to-face verification also gives reassurance that the applicant is who they claim to be. As part of the trial, FDS carried out interviews with all those taking part (160) to get feedback on both services, and to see how people thought they compared with the current process. Reactions to the two new potential services were overwhelmingly positive, particularly when compared to what is currently in place. si

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY Key Statistics 96 considered the new potential passport-linked service to be an improvement on the current process including 71 who felt it was a great improvement. Reactions to the longer-term ID Cardlinked service were even more positive, with 87 considering it more robust than the passport-linked process and only 1 less robust. A key reason for the preference for the new processes over current CRB process was the preference for electronic application routes over the current paper application form 86 preferred an electronic application, only preferring paper 96 rated the electronic Disclosure application form as easy to fill in including 77 saying extremely easy. People felt very comfortable with the new potential procedures. For example almost all employers and employees were comfortable with the idea of employers checking applicants passports and the great majority of people found the electronic data entry procedure to be easy and straightforward. Where there were concerns about the new processes these were mainly:- the amount of training that will be required, particularly for countersignatories, but also for employers. some uncertainty about how far people might have to travel to a countersignatory, and the availability of countersignatories the cost of installing the relevant equipment the number of people who might struggle with electronic data entry as they lack computer skills or easy access to computers. Some expressed reservations regarding, for example, security of data handling which might apply equally to the current system. In addition, some people raised the question of how the new services will be adapted to deal with people without UK passports. Despite these concerns, the research results represent a very strong endorsement of both the new potential services, and give a clear green light for IPS/CRB to proceed. Sue Gibson Senior Research Associate August 2007 sii

CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION...1 The trial...1 2 EXPERIENCES/VIEWS OF CURRENT CRB PROCESS... REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT- TERM PROCESS...6 Improved robustness compared with current process...8 Ease of completing the electronic form...9 Importance of checks...11 Value of including photo and passport number on disclosure certificate...11 REACTIONS TO NEW LONG- TERM PROCESS...12 Robustness of new processes...1 Usefulness of being able to link card holder to PIN or biometric data...17 Usefulness of being able to link card holder to PIN or biometric data...17 Using ID Cards to prove identity over the internet...19 Disclosure document...21 Concerns about the new processes...22 Summary...2 CRBFINAL.doc, 1/09/2007, 8 ci

1 INTRODUCTION I dentity and Passport Service (IPS) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) are looking at ways to strengthen the current identity authentication process, within the Disclosure service, and to make it quicker and more accurate. By improving the whole process, CRB hopes to give Registered Bodies more confidence in its workings and IPS will build a more complete understanding of identity services. Two new potential generic services are being proposed. The first, which would be possible to bring in earlier, would use UK passports and IPS services linked to the passport. The second service, which could be introduced in the longer term, would use ID Cards issued to British people and foreign nationals residing in the UK for more than three months, and the IPS services related to ID Cards. Both of these potential services take into account the placement of some wider modernisation initiatives that the organisations have underway to ensure a longer-term value of the feedback. IPS and CRB arranged a customer experience trial of these two possible new services, seeking co-operation from representatives from Registered Bodies in five main sectors:- Registered Bodies are organisations which are registered with the CRB. Their role is to:- check and validate applicant information on the application form, making sure it is fully completed and accurate establish the true identity of the applicant countersign applications. THE TRIAL The trial was held over nine dates in June, following a pilot exercise in May. Participants were volunteers who were mainly members of Registered Bodies and most had previous experiences of going through the current CRB process. Having agreed to take part in the trial, participants attended one of nine venues and:- proceeded through a trial of the shortterm process based on the UK passport, then went through a trial of the long-term process based on the ID Card. Voluntary and Community Faith Sport and Recreation Health and Social Care Education. 1

INTRODUCTION The stages of the trial that were role-played were:- employment interview CRB online Disclosure application form data validation with IPS identity verification with countersignatory CRB data source checks (which comprised a short video about this process) issue a CRB Disclosure certificate with digital photograph and identity token reference from IPS database. FDS researchers/interviewers conducted interviews with participants:- at the start of the exercise, before they went through the first process this interview focusing on their experiences and views of the current process and expectations of the new processes after experiencing the process based on the UK passport where participants gave their views on this process after experiencing the process based on the ID Card where participants gave their views on the expected longer-term process. 160 sets of interviews were conducted in total. A breakdown is as follows:- 120 were past CRB applicants 10 were members of staff at Registered Bodies 106 were employers receiving / checking applications for permanent, temporary or voluntary staff requiring CRB screening 11 were CRB staff and 9 IPS/Home Office staff. These 20 have been excluded from the main analysis which focuses on the 10 non-crb/ips participants, the vast majority of whom work for Registered Bodies. This report summarises responses from the - interviews undertaken by each participant. Numbers of Main Triallists CRB/IPS Triallists 25 May, London 1 8 (Pilot) June, London 16 1 6 June, Cardiff 22-8 June, London 16-11 June, Manchester 1-12 June, Manchester 8-18 June, Birmingham 17 2 19 June, Liverpool 17 5 21 June, London 22 1 26 June, Bristol 8 10 20 At the less busy venues, some participants were asked to take part in a fourth interview with an FDS researcher which was more discursive and open-ended in style. 2

2 EXPERIENCES/VIEWS OF CURRENT CRB PROCESS M ost of the 10 main participants were very familiar with the current CRB process. The vast majority (85) had previously personally applied for a CRB check. Most (76) of the 106 employers surveyed had conducted CRB checks on more than ten occasions in the last twelve months. Most employers rated themselves as extremely familiar with the CRB process, and non-employers also claimed high levels of familiarity with it. On a 1-5 scale, 82 of the 10 main participants gave a high score of -5 for familiarity. Chart 2.1: Familiarity with CRB Process All (10) Employers (106) Others () 8 55 26 Extremely familiar (5) 7 18 16 16 9 2 Mean 0 score.26.9.85 29 Not familiar (1,2) Previous Disclosure applicants were asked to rate the robustness of the application process on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 was not at all robust and 5 extremely robust. Most applicants gave a score of or suggesting they felt the process was reasonably tight but could be more robust.

EXPERIENCES/VIEWS OF CURRENT CRB PROCESS Most applicants declared themselves to be comfortable with the application process, only 2 giving low scores of 2. Those who claimed to be extremely comfortable with the process were mainly those who said they were extremely familiar with it. Chart 2.2: Perceived Robustness/How comfortable find application process How Robust (119) 16 2 How comfortable with Process (119) 6 26 6 2 2 Mean score.69.07 Extremely (5) 2 Not stated When the 106 employers were asked how satisfied they were with the process there were similar numbers of positive and negative comments. Those who were positive said they were happy or satisfied with the process. The main unprompted observation was that the service was too slow, a comment volunteered by 2.

EXPERIENCES/VIEWS OF CURRENT CRB PROCESS Other comments included:- cumbersome processing foreign nationals (mentioned by ) others in system check ID so, I don t know if it has been done properly (2) complicated process (2) find it hard to work (2). Most criticisms concerned the time taken or the unwieldiness of the process. Very few (2) complained at this stage they had little confidence in the system as it was possible to cheat it. Indeed some commented that one of the strengths of the current system is simply that its existence acts as a deterrent:- Its strength is that it exists so someone with a criminal record is unlikely to apply. When asked whether they had any particular concerns about the current process, employers again focused on speed rather than robustness or reliability. The main unprompted comments were:- process could be faster (mentioned by 1) process could be simpler (6) only as good as the day it is done (5) forms could be clearer (). Satisfied with outcome, but less so with process, could be more straightforward to ensure applicants read it properly. Can be complicated if people have had lots of addresses. Speed needs to be quicker and particularly with people with criminal records. It can take - months. Layout of the form makes it easy to make a mistake. If it is made easier for people to fill in could make our lives easier. Difficult to fit in all the addresses of someone who is foreign and has moved many times. There is often duplication on the form. Three sections on the form are not now needed. People start it and then realise they have filled in stuff that is unnecessary. Form could be easier. Some of these observations of the current process (in particular the perception it is easy to make mistakes on the paper form, resulting in delays) would be tackled by the proposed new processes. Almost all those taking part had expectations of what the new process would deliver differently from the current process, and amongst these, no one expected the new process to be worse:- 79 expected it to be quicker/easier 29 that it would be more accurate/rigorous. The trials were therefore conducted against a background where participants believed improvements were needed in the CRB process and they hoped and expected that a new system would be quicker, easier and possibly more rigorous. It is only as good as the day it arrives; how you get over that I don t really know. It could be simplified; people don t expect to have to bring so many documents. 5

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS A fter trialling the first new process based on the passport, participants were reminded that they had initially gone through a simplified and simulated process to get a trial ID Card and a passport. They were told that the future will be different from the current process for getting a passport because it will be a joint process to get an ID Card as well. Their biometrics will be recorded in person by IPS and biographic details extensively checked. The majority of participants, when asked to rate the level of importance of IPS conducting checks on biographical details, said that such checks were absolutely essential. Even more recognised the importance of IPS conducting checks on biographical details. Most gave the maximum score of 5 on a 1-5 scale of importance, when asked to rate the importance of biographical checks. Chart.1: Importance of measures Recording Biometrics (10) Biographical Checks (10) On both measures, employers gave higher scores for importance than other participants. Those who (later in their interview) expressed confidence that data will be securely handled by IPS gave higher ratings for importance than those who were more doubtful. Some interviewees observed at different stages of proceedings that processes were only as good as the people employing them, and emphasised the importance of training for employers using the CRB/IPS processes. Nevertheless most of the employers in our survey declared themselves to be extremely comfortable with the idea of checking applicants passports:- 66 gave the maximum score of 5 (extremely comfortable) 25 scored 5 scored 1 gave a score of 1, (not at all comfortable) while did not give a rating for comfort. 61 7 21 1 8 7 8 1 Mean Score.51.7 (Absolutely essential) 5 2 Not stated The mean score was a very high.61. Those in the Faith sector gave an especially high score (.88) but even the lowest scoring sector, Education, scored a confident.25. 6

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS All non-employers scored or 5 (mean score.79) to reflect how comfortable they were with providing their passport for their employers to check. Therefore the trial indicates that the vast majority of employers and applicants will be comfortable with the employer checking the applicant s passport. Other questions explored the perceived robustness of the new system. Most non-employers thought that with this new system it would be difficult for someone else to use their identity in a job application. Employers held similar views when thinking about the ease of someone using another person s identity in a job application with their organisation. Even so, a minority thought it would not be difficult for someone else to use their identity strangely even some of those who thought the new process was robust thought it would not be difficult. Those who were unsure how securely data would be handled by IPS were not likely to think using another person s ID might be easy. Responses to this question are in some cases a little at odds with answers given to other questions. The reason may be that some participants, aware that fraudsters are increasingly sophisticated, may have been reluctant to appear complacent by giving a very high score of or 5, as this might suggest no breaches would ever occur. Certainly responses to other questions suggest that most participants regard the new passport-based system as robust and secure. Employer (106) 20 Chart.2: Ease of using other person s ID in job applications Non-employers () 6 Mean Score.88.86 2 8 15 6 15 Extremely difficult (5) 2 Not at all difficult (1) Not stated 7

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS IMPROVED ROBUSTNESS COMPARED WITH CURRENT PROCESS When asked to comment as to how robust they considered this new passport based process, there was a marked improvement compared with the current process, with the majority scoring or 5 out of 5 Chart.: Perceived robustness Current process (119) 16 2 Passport-linked process (10) 6 51 Extremely robust (5) Not robust (1,2) Not stated The new process is:- faster, quicker, more efficient (mentioned spontaneously by 56) simpler/easier (21) more secure (16) less error prone (11) less reliant on paperwork (7) Quicker, more user friendly and far more control over it in terms of an umbrella company. It s more secure. It will put a lot of people off pulling a fast one, make them more aware. It seems more thorough. It double checks. 6 11 2 0 2 Mean score.69.20 In addition those who are extremely familiar with the current process are particularly likely to rate this new process highly for being robust, with half of them (9) giving a score of 5 out of 5. When asked to compare the new process with the current one in terms of robustness, 71 considered the new passport-linked process to be a great improvement on the current system, with a further 25 saying it was a slight improvement. There are a number of factors which are contributing to this favourable view, but the main ones are increased speed and simplicity, of all aspects of the new process. The checking of the validity of the passport appears to be much better. It is much more robust and will reduce the risk of unsuitable people entering the workforce. If it does what it promises then it is a great improvement. The ID checking is much easier and the whole process for applicant and employer is much quicker. It s a lot easier, you don t have to take so long to fill out. Applicants won t get so confused. It s good to actually check in person with the counter-signatory. It means that you can start a possible new employee earlier. It would save a lot of paperwork and it would make it a more automated process and speed everything up. 8

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS One participant summed up reactions as follows:- I think it s certainly increased the robustness in terms of checking. It should speed up the process which is good. It should reduce the frustration of manual errors and getting the forms back. EASE OF COMPLETING THE ELECTRONIC FORM Most people considered the electronic Disclosure application form to be extremely easy to complete:- 77 gave the maximum score of 5 (extremely easy) 19 scored 2 scored 1 scored 1. The mean score was a very high.7 and many made positive comments. It was extremely comfortable, easy and quicker to use. All age groups indicated they found the electronic Disclosure application form easy to complete, although scores were a little lower among non-employers. From observing participants, it did seem that a minority of older, less technology savvy triallists struggled. IPS staff had to help some participants who got stuck on a particular screen, often because the date had been entered incorrectly. That said, in some of the cases where triallists did have problems these could be avoided through minor adjustments when the system is developed, for example error messages to indicate where the problem is. Another comment relating to the electronic process was that not everyone has access to the internet and not all are computer literate. Despite this observation, the overwhelming majority of participants (86) preferred an electronic to a paper application. Among under-0s this preference was even more marked 92. Just of all participants preferred a paper application, the remainder expressing no preference. Comments, both negative and positive about electronic disclosure included:- It is extremely simple and useful and quick. If the process works it will certainly make my job a lot easier if all I have to rely on is a passport or identity card. These days most people have a passport. No, it was very simple and there was no extra training for staff. It could be made user friendly, so if you miss something it could be highlighted for you. The date format is confusing, demands slashes instead of hyphens. If an applicant doesn t have reliable PC access what happens? It could be an employer and employee with lots of voluntary groups they have to set up. If the employer can t get on line or is not computer literate what then? 9

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS If they have no access to a computer or no computer skills, can they go to library somewhere? Chart.: Confidence in handling identity data My major concern is that it is all computer based and not everyone will have access to that. Reassuringly, none of the participants felt uncomfortable with their identity and passport data being validated by the Identity and Passport Service:- 81 gave the maximum score of 5 (extremely comfortable) 1 scored only scored and no-one gave a lower score. Participants (excluding CRB/IPS) (10) 22 CRB/IPS (20) 15 8 60 2 15 6 1 5 5 Mean Score.85.89 Extremely confident (5) Not (at all) confident (1,2) Not answered The mean score was a very encouraging.77. Similarly no-one disagreed that it was important for their data to be checked against IPS data with a mean score of.85 for importance:- 86 gave the maximum score of 5 on a 1-5 importance scale 12 scored, one percent scored and no-one scored below. One of the most interesting questions related to people s confidence that their identity data will be securely handled. Some of those who did not question the appropriateness of the proposed processes nevertheless expressed doubts as to whether data would be handled securely. Among participants those who had most previous contact with CRB reassuringly gave higher scores. Employers scored.90 versus.70 for nonemployers. Those extremely familiar with the current CRB process scored.96 compared with a score of.75 for the less familiar. Those who were least confident that data would be securely handled were more likely:- to be from the Faith Sector (mean score.75) not to be supportive of ID Cards in general to be doubtful regarding the robustness of the new short and long term processes to dispute the importance of recording biometrics. 10

REACTIONS TO NEW SHORT-TERM PROCESS IMPORTANCE OF CHECKS It is considered vital that the identity check compares the applicant to the photo in their passport and checks that their passport is authentic. It is seen as a little less vital that the identity check compares the applicant s signature with the one held by IPS, as some believe that people s signature are not always consistent:- Signatures are a grey area. Signatures do vary, particularly with young people. Chart.5: How important is it that the identity check.. saying 'absolutey essential' VALUE OF INCLUDING PHOTO AND PASSPORT NUMBER ON DISCLOSURE CERTIFICATE There was greater endorsement for having a photo on the disclosure certificate than for including the passport number. Overall 81 scored -5 out of 5 for being comfortable with having the photo and passport number on the disclosure certificate, with almost four out of five employers saying they would find this useful. However, further probing indicated that it is the photo which is the really vital element:- The photo enhances the certificate. It s an extra check. Compares you to your photo 91 Photograph vital, not sure about the number. Does it change when up for renewal? What if it gets lost in the post? Checks that your passport is authentic Inlcudes a comparison of your signature and are shared by IPS 66 9 I m not sure who the form should be shown to. How safe it is to show other people, particularly with the passport numbers on? There was less certainty about the value of passport numbers with some querying the importance of a number, and whether it is a person s unique number, or whether it is only for the lifetime of that passport. The last of the comments above highlights that a system is only as good as the people operating it and that some elements of the process (such as the care and professionalism of the employers and counter-signatories making check) are not within the direct control of CRB. 11

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS A t the end of the interview about the short-term process, and before going through the second, ID Cardlinked process, participants were asked their opinion in general of the ID Card scheme. The timing of this question (at the end of the feedback interview about the first process, but before going through the second process) meant that their later views about the CRB ID Card-linked process could be examined in the context of their overall opinions about ID Cards. The main value of this question was as a check to see if negative reactions to the process linked to the ID Card correlated with negative views of the ID Cards in general. In fact, the majority (65) are supportive of the ID Card scheme, with only 10 not supportive. Older participants were more likely than younger ones to be very supportive with 7 of the over 50s scoring or 5, compared with 50 of the under 0s. There was also some variation by sector with those in the Faith and Education sectors having the lowest proportion of them very supportive. Sample sizes per sector are small but the Faith sector was significantly less supportive than other groups. FDS 2006 12

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS Chart.1: How supportive generally of the ID Card scheme Sector Total (10) Health & Community & Social Care Voluntary (15) (59) Faith (28) Education (20) Other (2) 1 60 29 0 2 29 1 1 29 20 21 1 25 19 15 10 21 1 5 10 8 0 0 0 Mean score.96.20.1.50.72.08 21 25 5 Extremely supportive (5) Not supportive (1+2) Not stated Analysis of the results shows however that even some of those who were not supportive of ID Cards in general, could appreciate how useful they would be in the context of authenticating identity:- On a personal level I don t think I am particularly in favour of identity cards, but if they were to come in, I think they d be excellent in terms of stuff like the CRB checking. Encouragingly, three quarters (76) expect ID Cards and the National Identity Register to help improve the CRB process, with only 6 taking an opposing view. While some of those who are not supportive of ID Cards in general were strongly in favour of the new CRB processes linked to ID Cards, there was a correlation with views of ID Cards and views of the new process. Those who were supportive of ID Cards in general were especially likely to be enthusiastic about the new CRB process linked to ID Cards. Nearly all employers, and practically all non-employers who gave an opinion, believe it is useful to have a single common process to deal with ID Cards for both British and foreign nationals. In the depth interviews, some talked of the problems they encounter when trying to verify the identity of foreign nationals. I think when you re employing somebody that s come from overseas it can be quite difficult getting information (about them) or getting it translated if it s not in English. 1

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS ROBUSTNESS OF NEW PROCESSES If the passport-linked process was considered significantly more robust than, and a great improvement on the current process, then the ID Card-linked process is a further improvement, with practically everyone scoring or 5 out of 5. The ID Card-linked process was almost universally considered to be robust. Chart.2: Ratings of Robustness of Processes Current process (119) 16 2 Passport-linked process (10) 6 51 ID Card-linked process (10) 7 1 11 6 2 7 2 1 Mean score.69.20.8 Extremely robust (5) The ratings for the passport-linked process were obtained before participants had tested the ID-Card linked process. When people had tested both processes:- 87 felt the long-term ID Card-linked process was more robust only 1 thought the short-term passport-linked process was more robust the remainder rated the processes as equal or were unsure. Not robust (1,2) Not stated The main reasons for rating the ID-Card linked process as robust are:- enhanced security over the single document passport speed simplicity/ease of use cross referencing and interlinking of information It will prove the person presenting to disclosure is who they say they are. Even those who are not supportive of the ID Card scheme in general consider this scheme to be robust, giving a score of.21 out of 5. The simplicity and ease of use. It is actually quite user friendly. Enhanced security over single document passport. The strength is its biometric data. It s the way forward for identifications and validations. Much safer, making the public safer, vulnerable people safer. It is possible it will speed things up having ID checks. Speed, robustness of it and so easy to do and a lot of cross checking going on quickly. 1

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS The comment below sums up why representatives of Registered Bodies embraced, so enthusiastically, a potential switch to an ID-Card based process. The process at the moment is a real headache. It cost my organisation a serious amount of money and time and effort for a process that s not necessarily fraud proof where there s definitely questions over accuracy of results and speed of checks and so on. It s a real hindrance to our business and doesn t particularly help people who work in our field. We could be doing a lot more to keep people safer and I think this sort of system will do that. 15

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS Information on the ID Card The interview about the long term process involved discussion about the sort of information printed on the ID Card. Two thirds (67) said the information was useful, and 8 that they were comfortable with that sort of information being on the card. Chart.: Participants views of information printed on ID Card Q: How useful is the information printed on the ID Card to you? Q: How comfortable are you with the information printed on ID Card? Useful (10) Comfortable (10) 1 26 19 67 17 6 8 1 1 Mean Score.98.5 Extremely (5) 2 Not at all (1) Not stated 16

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS Usefulness of being able to link card holder to PIN or biometric data Q: Do you think it would be useful for you as an employer to ask for a PIN or biometric verification to link the person to the card? Overall, most participants agreed that it is useful for counter-signatories and the CRB to be able to verify an applicant s identity using a biometric or PIN verification, with 92 scoring or 5 for usefulness of this element of the verification process. Most employers (8) believe it will be very useful for them to be able to ask for PIN or biometric verification which would link the person they are interviewing to the card. Non-employers are less likely to believe it will be useful, with 58 scoring or 5 out of 5, compared to the 8 of employers. However, nearly a third of non employers were unable to give an opinion. Younger employers and those not supportive of ID Cards were the least convinced of the usefulness of the PIN/biometric verification, although in both cases over 60 gave scores of or 5 out of 5. Chart.: Usefulness for employers being able to ask for PIN or biometric verification All employers (106) Under 0 (2) Employers 1-50 (29) 51+ (5) Not supportive of ID Cards (1) Non employers () 2 2 66 79 7 29 26 26 12 21 0 18 19 15 10 1 29 8 5 1 1 7 0 10 0 Mean Score.56.05.72.69.18.29 Not stated Not useful (1,2) Extremely useful (5) 17

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS In addition most employers are very comfortable with the concept of performing a biometric or PIN verification. Chart.5: How comfortable with biometric/pin verification Participants (excluding CRB/IPS) (10) Employers (106) Non-employers () 65 7 1 Extremely comfortable (5) 19 9 16 8 1 26 15 9 9 Not at all comfortable (1,2) Not stated 18

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS USING ID CARDS TO PROVE IDENTITY OVER THE INTERNET Participants found it very easy to prove their identity using their ID Card over the internet, with 9 scoring or 5 out of 5 for ease of doing so. Most (89) said that having pre-populated fields helped the process, and only three people said it made it more difficult. Many positive comments were made about the process, to the effect that it is:- easy/straightforward quicker than the current process/an improvement on the current process a good idea. Negative comments were mainly about what those with no computer/lack of computer literacy would do. As with the reaction to the short term process, other criticisms centred on problems caused when mistakes were made, particularly as the current system does not indicate where mistakes have occurred. Data verification process It is seen as absolutely essential for an individual s data to be checked against IPS data. The mean importance score for this measure was.87 out of 5. Even those not supportive of ID Cards gave a score of.7:- 86 of the total sample gave the maximum score of 5 rating this as absolutely essential a further 11 gave a score of only 1 scored three and no one gave a lower score, although 2 did not give a rating. Most also believed it to be very useful for CRB to be able to validate further information fields, such as the applicant s current address. The mean score for this was.7 out of 5:- 76 gave the maximum score of 5 for usefulness 19 scored only scored or lower while 2 felt unable to give a score. The checks are seen to make the process more secure and robust, and more efficient. There were comments such as the more validation the better and it makes sure the information is secure. 19

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS When asked, however, how confident they are that their biometrics and PIN will be securely handled, some expressed doubts, with only just over half 57 - giving scores of or 5 when asked how confident they are about security. Scores were a little higher among CRB/IPS staff but even so only a minority gave the maximum score of 5. Chart.6: How confident that biometrics and PIN will be securely handled Participants (excluding CRB/IPS) (10) 20 7 CRB/IPS (1) 5 Extremely confident (5) In total, nearly half the participants expressed some doubts or concerns about the verification process:- security of whole system/computers can be hacked (mentioned by 17) worried about fraud/pins can get stolen (6) worried about other uses for fingerprints/id () who will pay for additional hardware/equipment () would need training (2) provision for those with no passport/id Card (2). 2 1 Mean 9 2 0 7 Score.68.07 Not (at all) confident (1,2) Not stated The main reason for these doubts that computers can be hacked into is a genuine concern that people have about all such data and not unique to this process. 20

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT Two thirds (6) believe that it will be valuable (scores or 5) for the Disclosure to contain the applicant s unique Identity number, but some are less certain; a sizeable minority is less convinced of the value of this number. It is worth noting that of course participants were being asked about the National Identity Register Number (NIRN) before its introduction, and therefore without a full understanding of its purpose and scope. Four out of five employers had said earlier that as part of the passport-based process they valued having the photo and passport number on the Disclosure certificate but further probing indicated that it was the photo they found particularly valuable. Employers probably place a similar value on having the NIRN on the Disclosure as having the passport number on the Disclosure. Not surprisingly, those who are sceptical that data will be held securely, were less convinced than others of the value of the identity number being on the Disclosure. Chart.7: How valuable is it for the Disclosure to contain the NIRN Q: How valuable would it be for the Disclosure to contain the NIRN, that is the applicant s unique Identity Number? Participants (excluding CRB/IPS) (10) Confident Data will be Securley Handled (98) Not confident (1) 27 51 2 20 18 17 16 15 12 8 11 8 17 2 Extremely (5) 2 Not at all (1) Not stated 21

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS VARIATIONS TO THE GENERIC PROCESS Towards the end of the interview, participants were asked what, if any, variations they might require to the generic processes they had experienced that day, to fit in with their particular organisation. There was no single change mentioned by large numbers; instead, amongst those who felt a variation was required there was a range of answers:- clear, robust procedures for those with no passport/id clear guidance for when things go wrong standard languages including Welshfacility for translating fall back for those with no computer access/computer literate procedures for illiterate help with investing in equipment. The reference to guidance when things go wrong is a theme that recurred in some of the depth interviews. People feel comfortable with the scenario they observed when they went through the process in the trial but want to know what they should do when things are less straightforward. CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEW PROCESSES Despite overwhelming support for the new processes, the trial was designed to encourage people to pinpoint any areas of concern. Critical comments mainly touched on the following:- the potential cost of every site having the necessary equipment, as the card reader and fingerprint scanner were expected to be expensive the extra burden on employers and counter-signatories (who are generally busy people). There will be a need for training in how to carry out these checks, and what to do when things go wrong, such as people forgetting their pin realisation by countersignatories that there may be some suspicious circumstances surrounding an interviewee the concern that people may have to travel some distance to see the countersignatories what procedures will be put in place to help people with disabilities including learning difficulties the new system still means that there might be concerns over those with no passport and those with the most modest biographical footprint were potentially the most difficult to screen, so the new process does not solve the problems associated with checking such applications. 22

REACTIONS TO NEW LONG-TERM PROCESS SUMMARY Overall, reaction to the two new potential services was overwhelmingly positive. The short-term Passport-linked service is considered a major improvement on the current process, for its speed, efficiency and simplicity. The longer-term ID-linked process is rated even more highly and is thought to be much more robust than the existing process. These research results represent a very strong endorsement of both these new potential services. 2