- A new independent advisory group of experts will provide accountability and insight on how the Government’s digital ID system can be inclusive, useful and trusted.
- A separate programme of engagement with the digital verification services and financial services sectors will be launched later in the month to ensure their insights inform the Digital ID programme as it develops.
- Digital ID will make public services quicker, easier and more secure to access, with inclusion embedded in the design.
Senior leaders from business and civil society are being brought in to support the Government to deliver a digital ID system that works for the public.
An advisory group has been brought together by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, to support the delivery of digital ID and provide independent scrutiny and oversight as it is developed. The members announced today are
- John Fallon – former CEO of Pearson, the global education publishing giant, where he led the company’s transition from traditional print to digital learning platforms, and Lead Cabinet Office Non-Executive Board Member;
- Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE – co-founder and CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to inspiring people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths;
- David Rogers MBE – globally recognised cyber security expert and member of faculty at Columbia Business School;
- Emma Wright – Director and co-founder of the Interparliamentary Forum on Emerging Technologies, Partner of Crowell & Moring and renowned digital regulation lawyer;
- Justine Roberts CBE – founder and Executive Chair of Mumsnet and Gransnet, and leading voice in digital communities; and
- The Hon. Victor Dominello – former New South Wales Minister for Digital Government and now the CEO and Co-Founder of the Future Government Institute.
The Advisory Group will meet quarterly for the duration of the Digital ID programme to provide external scrutiny and strategic insight and will challenge the Government on emerging ideas or policy decisions to ensure the system works for everyone.
Separately, the Government will this month kick off a process of regular engagement with the Digital Verification Services and Financial Services sectors, to ensure lessons and insights from these sectors can inform the Digital ID programme as it develops. This will involve close partnership with leading trade organisations to ensure a wide representation of participation.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones said
The current legacy system of call centres, paperwork and the need to tell your story multiple times to different parts of government is not good enough.
In its place, we need to build a truly modern UK where public services work for you, with digital ID as the foundation.
This new programme of engagement will ensure we benefit from the expertise and experience of experts as we build a system that is secure, useful and for everyone – and that supports public services that are there for you when you need them most.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, James Frith said
We want Digital ID to work for everyone – something that is useful, inclusive and trusted. That is why we’re working with industry, civil society and others to get this right.
Our programme of engagement will run throughout our development of the programme, ensuring we hear from as many people and organisations as possible.
Digital ID will be transformative for our public services, ending the need to fill out endless paper forms, and making life simpler for people across the UK.
Julian David OBE, CEO of techUK said
To support a thriving Digital ID ecosystem, it is essential that the expertise and insight from the private sector is at the heart of the Digital ID programme. We welcome the Government’s commitment to regular structured engagement with the UK’s thriving DVS sector through the establishment of a technical working group.
We are proud to be hosting a discussion with Minister James Frith later this month which will look to identify the technical details required to ensure an interoperable, secure and seamlessly integrated system.
Jana MacKintosh, Managing Director, Payments and Innovation at UK Finance said
UK Finance supports the Government’s ambition to create a digital identity service to make public services more effective. Engagement with the financial services sector is an important part of this and we look forward to working with the Government on its Digital ID programme.
David Crack, Chairperson of the Association of Digital Verification Professionals said
We welcome the Government’s commitment to regular engagement with the Digital Verification Services sector and look forward to hearing more detail about how this engagement will be structured and delivered.
These announcements build on the People’s Panel, which brings together a diverse group of people – selected to be broadly representative of the whole British public – to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs, and Ministerial engagements across the UK, to ensure that the Government hears from as many people as possible.
Digital ID is part of wider government plans to reform public services, modernise public sector technology and replace legacy systems.
ENDS