Thursday 15th January 2026

(1 day, 9 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Judith Cummins Portrait Madam Deputy Speaker
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For the final question, I call Jim Shannon.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
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Hopefully there will be easier questions for the Minister to answer in the time to come. This is issue is very important to my constituents; I get hundreds of emails about it. The response to the proposal of digital ID has been swift and intense, and the feelings on all sides of the community have not diminished in any way. The general public seek assurance that their autonomy, in so far as it does not harm anyone else, is a foundational principle in our democracy. How do the Government intend to rebuild the trust that has quite clearly been lost?

Josh Simons Portrait Josh Simons
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Trust is vital—digital tools work only when they are trusted. In the consultation that we will publish in the coming weeks, Members will see that trust is at the heart of how we build the system for working people.