Ministerial Foreword by Alex Burghart MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office
This Government has made a commitment to improve the way that data and information is shared and used across the public sector to deliver better, joined up services and exceptional outcomes for our citizens. People often access government services in times of great need, and services must provide the best possible experience for users, while maintaining privacy, trust and building confidence.
The Digital Economy Act was designed and passed in 2017 to give us flexibility to introduce new data sharing gateways to support the delivery of key services, as the need arises, by secondary legislation and with a pre-consultation stage. This consultation sets out proposed data sharing legislation that would make it easier for citizens to prove who they are online when accessing government services.
The proposed legislation will also unlock the full benefits of a new government identity verification system, known as GOV.UK One Login. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Government Digital Service (GDS) is developing GOV.UK One Login, through close collaboration with other government departments.
Inclusion is at the heart of GOV.UK One Login. The proposed data-sharing legislation will ensure that more people than ever before will be able to prove their identity online and access government services, so that anybody who wants to use online services is able to. Furthermore, the government is committed to realising the benefits of digital identity technologies without creating ID cards.
GOV.UK One Login and the proposed legislation will ensure the government continues to drive inclusive digital transformation, to level up opportunities across all corners of the UK, and deliver brilliant public services. To drive this inclusive digital transformation even further, this Government is separately legislating to enable the use of trusted digital identities in the UK under Part 2 of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. This policy initiative is owned by DCMS and will enable citizens to prove things about themselves in a secure and trusted way to access commercial products and services online. DCMS is doing this in a way that maintains people’s choice, security and control of their data, and supports growth and technical innovation across the economy.