GovWire

Consultation outcome: Draft legislation to help more people prove their identity online

Cabinet Office

June 24
08:00 2023

Government response to the consultation on draft legislation to support identity verification (PDF version)

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Detail of outcome

From January to March 2023, the Cabinet Office consulted on draft regulations to help more people prove who they are online.

The proposed regulations would create a new objective under the Digital Economy Act 2017, allowing controlled data sharing between a number of public bodies already specified in the act and with 4 additional organisations:

  • Cabinet Office
  • Department for Transport
  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Disclosure and Barring Service.

We received 66,233 responses during the consultation period. The government thanks all those who took the time and effort to respond to the consultation, and for the contributions received.

The government is clear that there isnt public support for national identity cards in the UK and this is not something proposed in, or enabled by, this legislation.

Where responses did engage with the specific consultation questions, they highlighted the wider potential benefits of the data sharing regulations, including to physical health and social wellbeing, and we will make a minor amendment on this basis. The government has also proposed that the draft regulations would come into force 21 days after, rather than the day after, being approved by Parliament.

The UK government intends to take forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.


Original consultation

Summary

Consultation on updates to data sharing legislation to make identity verification online more reliable so more people can use digital public services.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Consultation on draft Digital Government (Disclosure of Information) (Identity Verification Services) Regulations 2023.

The aim of the draft legislation is to improve how data is shared and used across the public sector. This is to make identity verification online easier and more reliable, and to help the government ensure more people can use digital public services.

How to respond

You can respond to this consultation online.

We cannot accept postal responses to this consultation unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you need to send in a postal submission, contact the Data Sharing Legislation Team on dea-data-sharing@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

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