The Sunday Times reports that our authoritarian Home Secretary's plans to prevent leaks from the companies working on implemented the expensive and unnecessary ID card scheme has itself been leaked.
What's particularly draconian is that it seems the desire is to implement a system whereby workers at these companies may have their homes searched without needingĀ a search warrant.
The Home Office said the proposals in the document aimed to keep the identity card scheme secure and did not introduce new legal powers.
However, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the civil rights group, said: "This reveals the extent of Home Office arrogance and contempt for individual privacy.
"It's not enough constantly to legislate our liberty away - now it seems they want companies and employees to contract out of legal rights not to have private security guards trampling through their premises without a warrant."
This is, of course, hot on the heels of the dubious anti-terror police search of Conservative MP Damian Green' offices at the Houses of Parliament, a search made in an investigation of leaks from the Home Office, and one which Jacqui Smith denies all knowledge.