Identity card rebels on both Labour and Tory benches will give their leaders trouble when the measure is debated today.

About 30 Labour MPs are expected to oppose the controversial scheme with some Conservative frontbenchers threatening to go "missing" rather than have to back the scheme endorsed by Michael Howard.

Tory rebels said last night that as many as 50 backbenchers opposed the ID cards bill.

Writing in today's Telegraph, Howard says an ID scheme is in the national interest but promises that if the Conservatives win the election he will undertake a complete review of Labour's planned scheme.

Damian Green, the former shadow transport secretary, said yesterday: "I think ID cards will be hugely expensive, won't improve our security against terrorism, won't be very effective against benefit fraud and will restrict personal freedom.

"It was the Conservative party that abolished ID cards the last time we had them and that was a good and Conservative thing to do."

Charles Clarke will face his first parliamentary test as new home secretary among claims he is not as enthusiastic about the measure as his predecessor David Blunkett.

Meanwhile the Guardian reports the advice on the legality of ID cards given to the government by the attorney general Lord Goldsmith is being kept secret.