Worried about its cost, Britain's upper house of Parliament has rejected the government's plan to introduce a national identity card.
It was a victory for the Tory and Liberal Democrats as well to the rebel members of the ruling Labor Party, who had opposed the plan, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The decision means Home Secretary Charles Clarke must revise the plan, which, as currently proposed, would cost an estimated $36 billion in the next 10 years.
The government has not disclosed the project's cost, saying the IT companies bidding to supply hardware and software would use it as a minimum starting point in negotiations, the report said. But opponents say it would be the opposite considering the size of the deal.
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