I NOTE with some interest Jacqui Smith's Letter from Westminster (Advertiser, February 15), particularly her comments regarding the matter of biometric ID cards. Frankly, I have to question that Jacqui ''will be supporting the introduction of ID cards just as hundreds of constituents told (her) they wanted (her) to." Now I know that in a town of well over 50,000 people that "hundreds" is not a particularly large percentage but among all the people I have spoken to, I have yet to find a single supporter of ID cards, other than Jacqui herself. As a former police officer, I have serious doubts such cards will have any effect on the problems they are supposed to solve.Indeed, even Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, admits the scheme is "fundamentally flawed" and "will not improve public safety or security". In a letter on this subject, Jacqui admits the scheme will cost £580 million each year, excluding set-up costs. When questioned about the true cost of this folly, the letter goes on to state that "setting a budget ahead of that process would not be helpful in securing best value for the taxpayer''. In effect, the Government is saying it does not have the faintest idea of the total cost or, more likely, it knows the cost and dares not tell us. Some reputable estimates put the set-up cost at well over £1 billion. What is clear is that contrary to the Government claims, it is only the lawless who have nothing to fear, unlike the law-abiding, who will carry the full burden.I fear another demonstration of Government-sponsored incompetence looming large to add to the fiasco already adequately demonstrated by the tax credit process and the shambolic Child Support Agency. May I also mention at this point the scandalous issues of the Scottish Parliament building cost overrun and the complete failure of the EU to properly account for vast amounts of taxpayers' money, where the Government has direct influence but chooses to do nothing other than continually subscribe to yet more carriages on the gravy train.Do you really trust the Government not to cock this up? The ID plan is flawed, costly and next to useless - unless, of course, you are simply repeating the efforts of William the Conqueror by updating the Domesday Book for some as yet undisclosed taxation purpose.PAUL ISHERWOODvia e-mail