Home affairs minister Piet Hein Donner has closed a loophole which led to the high court stopping local councils charging for ID cards, news agency Novum reports.

A spokesman for the minister told Novum the minister has drafted emergency legislation to change the rules. However people who have applied for ID cards over the past few days will still get them free of charge.
Earlier this month, the high court ruled the documents should be free because it is the government rather than card holders who benefit most from them. The ruling led to a flood of applications.