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The Chancellor of the Exchequer today appointed Sir James Crosby to chair the Public Private Forum on Identity Management. The Forum will examine the evolving technologies used for identity management and consider how public and private sectors can work together to maximise efficiency and effectiveness. The Forum will be a key part of the identity management architecture across government, and will build on work underway across Whitehall.

The Chancellor said:

"The costs of identity fraud are growing, one in four criminals use false identities and as many as one in five companies could be hit by identity fraud. That is why I have proposed a forum of private and public sectors to examine fraud and security issues and consider how new technologies can help security for all.

"I am delighted that someone with the stature and experience of Sir James Crosby has agreed to take forward this important work."

Sir James Crosby said:

"I am very pleased to have been asked to make a contribution in an area of such increasing importance to large parts of both the public and private sectors."

NOTES TO EDITORS

At the end of July Sir James Crosby will step down as Chief Executive of HBOS, a position he has occupied since 2001 having previously been Chief Executive of Halifax PLC from 1999. Sir James is also a non-executive director of the Financial Services Authority and ITV PLC and a fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries.

The Chancellor proposed creation of a Forum on identity in his speech on security to the Royal United Services Institute in February of this year. The full text of that speech can be found here: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/speeches/chancellorexchequer/speech_chex_130206.cfm. The Forum will begin work in September.

The Forum's terms of reference are to:

• Review the current and emerging use of identity management in the private and public sectors and identify best practice.
• Consider how public and private sectors can work together, harnessing the best identity technology to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
• Produce a preliminary report for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Ministerial Committee on identity Management by Easter 2007.

The Forum will make proposals to the Chancellor and the Ministerial Committee on identity management early next year.