ID card scheme faces new hurdle· Scientists say fingerprints of over-75s may be poor / The Guardian, August 15 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/15/idcards?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews

"The national identity card scheme faces fresh problems following a warning from the government's top scientific advisers that the quality of fingerprints from 4 million people aged over 75 may be too poor to be used to prove their identity. The "gold standard" integrity of the national identity scheme would depend on all 10 digits of the hands of everyone in Britain over 16 being accurately recorded on the central register, but experts have now told Home Office ministers that it is "hard to obtain good quality fingerprints" from the over-75s."