CBO00000019
B000000019
CONFIDENTIAL - POLICY fre
From: Jeremy Heywood
Date: 6 January 1999
Geoff Mulgan eer Jonathan Powell
d David Miliband
fy Lord Falconer
Geoffrey Norris
David North
BA/POCL
The Prime Minister was grateful for your minute of 24 December. The Prime
Minister thinks that we should proceed as follows:
G) we should indicate to ICL as soon as possible that we want to have further
discussions with them on how the BPC project can be developed, to
facilitate the earliest possible move to smart cards.
@) but we should also make clear to them that if agreement cannot be reached
within a specified time period on a development of the current project
along these lines, the Government will stick with the current project.
Notwithstanding (fi) the Prime Minister is clear that we should seek to move as
quickly as possible to paying benefits directly into bank accounts via a
smart card facility that can be used in Post Offices.
Siioesieconomicihapot sh. die
CONFIDENTIAL - POLICY