Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he had made of the potential impact of introducing digital ID on remote communities in rural areas.

Inclusion is one of the core principles of the proposed national, free Digital ID.

The Government held a public consultation from 10 March - 5 May and convened the People’s Panel, which brought together a diverse group of people - selected to be broadly representative of the whole British public - to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs.

This was supplemented with an inclusive engagement programme, including targeted conversations with representatives of rural communities, and Ministerial engagements across the UK. Taken together, this will ensure that the Government hears from as many people as possible, including the perspectives of rural communities.