Greg Hands MP (Conservative) MP for Hammersmith & Fulham. He has a degree in Modern History from Cambridge University. He worked in banking before entering parliament.

Issues

Identity cards

Gregs views on ID cards from his website

"ID cards are a bad idea. They will do nothing to improve the safety of our citizens. They are not the answer to the threat of terrorism, to benefit fraud, illegal immigration, human trafficking or to identity theft. They are a waste of money, and a Conservative Government will abolish them."

"The Labour Government’s plans are to make ID Cards compulsory for everyone, and force people to pay to be fingerprinted by the State. Instead of these intrusive, expensive and ineffective ID Cards, the money should be spent on more worthwhile projects to cut crime - such as a dedicated UK Border Police, more prison spaces and increasing the number of residential drug rehabilitation places."

Signed Early Day Motion 263 Identity Cards 06 June 2005

That this House believes that a convincing case for the introduction of compulsory biometric identity cards and a national database has not been made, that the risks involved far outweigh any discernible benefit, that the introduction of identity cards will fundamentally change the relationship between the citizen and the state, diminish personal privacy and threaten civil liberties, that the present proposals do not provide properly costed, proportionate or effective solutions to the problems they are claimed to solve; and calls upon the Government to shelve plans for their introduction.

DNA database

Mail on Sunday Innocent MP fingerprinted after his uncle's murder discovers his details are still on DNA database one year on 3rd August 2008

"I accept it is helping to solve crimes," Mr Hands added, "but it seems to me the Home Office and police are building up a national, universal DNA database by stealth. They are trying to get all 60million of us by hook or by crook on to it."

"They are using every possible reason to collect data from people like me whose links with crime in particular or general are extremely tenuous. Parliament has never approved a universal DNA database."

Links

Greg Hands MP Website