Quarter of state databases "should be scrapped"

The Conservatives have pledged to scrap ID cards and ContactPoint if they return to power at the next election, due to be held by mid-2010.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the report exposed the government's obsession with hoarding information.

"In their desperation to track our every move, ministers have created a glut of databases, many of which are quite simply illegal," he said.

The Ministry of Justice said the report had no real evidence to base its assessment about the impact on people's privacy.

However it said it would consider an concerns carefully and adapt existing safeguards where necessary.

(Reporting by Tim Castle)