The identity minister Meg Hillier has admitted that the government did not make its reasons for identity cards “clear enough”.

In a Westminster Hall debate, the Labour MP Mark Todd accused the government of not making a “promising start” and said the public’s trust must be won for identity cards to work.

He said: “The intellect workshops that were held two years ago when the genesis of the project was established made it absolutely clear that, for the project to work, clear uses and benefits must be explained to the public and a high level of trust won.

“As I said, we have not made a desperately promising start. Tentative attempts to sell the idea have provoked ridicule in some cases. The brief appearance of the website www.mylifemyid.org, which was aimed at young people, became a predictable target for opponents.” He added that selling the project to its potential customers would be “tough and expensive”.