Oral Answers to Questions

Graeme Downie Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)]

4. What recent steps he has taken to establish a digital identity system.

[Graeme Downie (Dunfermline and Dollar) (Lab)]

7. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing a digital ID scheme.

[Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

18. What recent progress he has made on the digital ID scheme.

--- Later in debate ---

[Josh Simons]

We are building a digital ID system because it is the infrastructure that we need for the foundation of the British state and better public services in years to come. I am proud that we as a Government are investing the time and resources to improve government and make it work better for people so that it is easier to access public services. We are doing the hard work that Government should do rather than expecting people to do it for themselves. I hope that hon. Members from Opposition parties will come to see the force of that argument for their constituents.

[Graeme Downie]

At the beginning of the year, I visited Estonia to see how 100% of public services are delivered via its digital ID system. It is done safely and securely, and as the Minister said, citizens now have better access to and control over their data, including over who sees what, when and where. The system also saves Estonia about 2% of GDP, which has allowed it to re-energise its system and continue to evolve for the future. Will the Minister reassure me that, despite the news last week, we will continue to press forward strongly with a digital ID system and show the people of the UK that it can be beneficial to their lives and make things much better for them?

[Josh Simons]

Absolutely. By the end of this Parliament, every UK citizen who wants a digital ID will be able to get one free of charge. To deliver that, we will launch a huge digital inclusion drive across the UK, and I look forward to working with hon. Members from across the House on that, including my hon. Friend. Like Estonia, we will build the UK system to earn citizens’ trust, adhering to the principles of data minimisation and decentralisation with strong safeguards in place. We will consult imminently on how best to design that system.