No refunds for ID card pioneers

The government is set to refuse refunds to people who have forked out good money for ID cards.

There will be a bill to abolish the cards, along with electoral and parliamentary reform - a move to equally-populated constituencies and to the Alternative Vote system - in the Queen's Speech tomorrow.

But thousands of people persuaded to buy an ID card should not expect a refund, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

The paper got hold of a draft version of the Queen's Speech, traditionally a closely-guarded secret, which also includes curbs on bankers' bonuses, regulation of financial services and changes to the DNA database.

The speech also reveals an education bill to allow more schools to become self-governing academies.

Several big IT projects are also likely to get the chop as part of the wider search for savings. ®