Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing has repeated the Scottish Government's complete opposition to UK Government proposals for a National Identity Scheme.

Commenting on the scheme, Mr Ewing said in a statement: "The Scottish Government continues to be completely opposed to the National Identity Scheme, and the Scottish Parliament recently supported a call for the UK Government to cancel its plans for the National Identity Scheme.

"Given the current financial climate, the UK Government should have better uses for the vast sums of money being spent on this scheme which presents an unacceptable threat to citizens' privacy and civil liberties, with little tangible evidence to suggest it will do anything to safeguard against crime and terrorism."

He added: "The costs of this scheme are not only to be borne indirectly by the tax payer. All citizens, including Scots, will be expected to fork out for a card and to enrol on the national identity register when this becomes compulsory in 2012.

"The initial application fee has been fixed at £30 and that is supposedly a cut-price offer to entice citizens to get one before they become compulsory. How much they will cost from 2012 is anyone's guess.

Each ID card will be unique and will combine the cardholder's biometric data with their checked and confirmed identity details. These identity details and the biometrics will be stored on the national identity register.

Basic identity information will also be held in a chip on the ID card itself.

The cards will be linked to their owners by unique biometric information, for example, fingerprints.

The latest official estimates for the cost of the National Identity Scheme are £4.8 billion, or £5.11 billion if costs associated with foreign nationals are included.

Of these, £1.2 billion are costs which are specific to the introduction of ID cards.