Mancunians will be able to apply for an ID card by the end of the month.
According to the Home Office, anyone with a work or home address in the Greater Manchester area can now book in to register for one of the controversial cards. The 30 cards will be available from the end of the month.
It's the first time the cards have been made available to the general public. They have been handed out to so-called foreign nationals - such as overseas students and foreigners married to Brits - since last year.
Phil Woolas, Home Office Minister and Minister for the North West of England, said enrolling would only take 15 minutes. "Having been through the enrolment process this morning, I can vouch for the fact it is simple, secure and only takes around 15 minutes," he said.
However, it's not enrolment times that are the major concerns of critics, with most lobbyists taking aim at the database behind the ID card system.
Click here for all you need to know about ID cards.
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