Contributions
154 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDProject Gigabit: Rural AreasI am answering today on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Digital Government, who is away on other duties. As of September 2025, more than 1.3 million premises in…04 Feb 2026HANSARDProject Gigabit: Rural AreasMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to press this issue. Project Gigabit delivers gigabit-capable broadband to parts of the UK that are unlikely to be reached by the commercial…04 Feb 2026HANSARDProject Gigabit: Rural AreasAs I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton), we are currently looking at how we can further enable alternatives to fibre access, such as…04 Feb 2026HANSARDDigital Identity SchemeA new digital identity system is a vital part of the infrastructure that the UK needs to transform public services and accelerate digital government. As my right hon. Friend the…22 Jan 2026HANSARDDigital Identity SchemeWe are building a digital ID system because it is the infrastructure that we need for the foundation of the British state and better public services in years to come. I am proud…22 Jan 2026HANSARDDigital Identity SchemeAbsolutely. By the end of this Parliament, every UK citizen who wants a digital ID will be able to get one free of charge. To deliver that, we will launch a huge digital inclusion…22 Jan 2026HANSARDDigital Identity SchemeMy hon. Friend has deep experience of these challenges, and she is absolutely right: the reason why digital ID is so vital to the future of our public services and government is…22 Jan 2026HANSARDDigital Identity SchemeIt has not been. Digitising right-to-work checks is a vital part of how we will toughen up our illegal labour market enforcement regime. It will mean that this Government are…22 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs with so many things, the previous Government gave up, accepted fraud as inevitable, and stopped tackling it properly. By contrast, this Government are delivering the most…22 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDDigital ID cards will be rolled out by the end of this Parliament, and will be free to everyone who wants one. The Prime Minister was clear that this is a basis for transforming…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDThe digital ID database will be based on the principle of data minimisation. The minimum possible data that the Government already have will be stored about every individual…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDFollowing my appointment as a joint Minister across the Cabinet Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, I would like to respond to Members’ concerns…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI am, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am proud that this Labour Government are building this vital public infrastructure to make Government work better for everyone.15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDLet me answer the hon. Gentleman by stepping back for a moment and stating clearly what British citizens and taxpayers will get. Digital IDs will be rolled out for free to…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI thank my hon. Friend for her constructive question. I will cover each of those three points. First, the digital ID will be free for everyone who wants one. Secondly, access to…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDAs I have mentioned before to the hon. Gentleman and in the House, the design and delivery of the scheme will be subject to the consultation that we will launch in a few weeks.…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI thank my hon. Friend for her question. To confirm, the digital ID will be free and available to every eligible UK citizen who wants one. The consultation will invite people all…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI thank my fellow Greater Manchester MP for that question. My constituents also want easier access to public services, and they are fed up with having to fight a system that…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI am delighted that the hon. Member is so pleased with gov.uk. I am sure that he will be equally delighted when we roll out the simple, easy-to-use and effective digital ID, which…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI too believe in freedom. Any good digital system must be trusted; if it is not trusted, it does not work. That point will be at the heart of the consultation that we will publish…15 Jan 2026