The prime minister has announced that the Cabinet Office will take on overall responsibility for the government’s new digital identity scheme.
Making a statement to the House of Commons, Keir Starmer said the machinery of government change was needed to “deliver this cross-government priority” and the Cabinet Office’s responsibilities would include policy development, legislation and strategic oversight.
It comes after the Labour government last year moved digital bodies from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a plan to make DSIT the “digital centre of government”.
The latest MOG change will see the Cabinet Office work alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – and other departments – on the scheme, with DSIT retaining responsibility for the technical design, build and delivery, Starmer said.
The PM announced the digital ID policy last month, saying it would be an “enormous opportunity” and would help to crack down on illegal working and make the UK’s borders more secure. He said it would also “offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly”.
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said he is looking forward to “adding the Cabinet Office’s capacity for coordination across departments to DSIT’s technical expertise, in order to help develop this product and make the most of its opportunities”.
Science and technology secretary Liz Kendall added: “This is a top priority for the prime minister that requires all government departments to be engaged so it is fantastic my colleague Darren Jones will be coordinating policy across government, leading on legislation and working with DSIT on the delivery and implementation of the scheme.
“It is only by working collaboratively that the government will be able to deliver this ground-breaking initiative.”
The MOG change is effective immediately.