Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the mandatory digital ID system will be (a) developed and (b) operated by third parties.

The Government has announced plans for a new digital ID for all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament, but it will not be mandatory for other purposes.

We expect the programme to be designed, built and run by in-house Government teams, not outsourced to external suppliers. In the event any specialist external services or expertise are procured to support the delivery of the new digital ID system, this will be subject to all the usual competitive processes to ensure transparency, and value for the taxpayer.