From the end of July fingerprints required for identity papers will no longer be stored.

Local councils and other authorities who issue identity papers will only have access to these fingerprints until the moment the passport is issued.

Passport data is usually saved for 11 years, but finger prints will no longer be stored after parliament requested that this data is destroyed as there are too many problems with the system.

It will take some time to get rid of the six million finger prints that have already been collected. At the end of August it should be clear how the authorities are going to go about this.

Interior Minister Piet Hein Donner made the above statements in reaction to questions from the democrat party D66. The minister had already informed parliament of his intention to end the storage of passport fingerprints, but D66 feared it would take too long before would actually end.

(gsh/nc)

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