£18m National Identity Register deal awarded / silicon.com, 4 August 2008
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39267371,00.htm
"A prototype of the UK ID card biometric database will be delivered by French firm Thales for £18m. The defence contractor will design, build, test and operate an early version of the National Identity Register (NIR) and ID card application system for airport workers, which will go live from the second half of 2009."