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The Digital Government (Disclosure of Information) (Identity Verification Services) Regulations 2023

Draft. This instrument was laid in draft and may differ from the one made. Look for the made version under its title.

Draft 2023, ISBN 9780348251661

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

Draft Regulations laid before Parliament under section 44(7) of the Digital Economy Act 2017, for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament.

Disclosure Of Information

Made ***

Coming into force ***

In exercise of the powers conferred on the appropriate national authority (meaning the relevant Minister) by section 35(3) and (7) of the Digital Economy Act 2017f1 (“the Act”), the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with the consent of the Treasuryf2, makes the following Regulations.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office is satisfied that the objective specified complies with the conditions in section 35(9), (10) and (12) of the Act, and that the entries added to Schedule 4 to the Act comply with the condition in section 35(4) of the Act.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has consulted the Information Commissioner, the Commissioners for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers, the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland, and such other persons as the Minister for the Cabinet Office considers appropriate, as required by section 44(4) of the Actf3.

In accordance with section 44(7) of the Actf4, a draft of these Regulations was laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2017 c. 30. Under section 45(1), the Minister for the Cabinet Office is the relevant Minister, and therefore the appropriate national authority to make these Regulations. Section 45(1) was amended by article 6(4) of S.I. 2018/526, under which the functions of the Secretary of State under Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the Act ceased to be exercisable concurrently with the Minister for the Cabinet Office, and subsequently by article 6(4) of S.I. 2020/940, under which those functions became exercisable concurrently with the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

f2

Consent of the Treasury is required by section 44(6) of the Act.

f3

Section 44(4) of the 2017 Act was amended by article 6(2) and (3) of S.I. 2018/526 and by article 6(3)(b) of S.I. 2020/940.

f4

Section 44(7) of the 2017 Act was amended by article 6(3)(c) of S.I. 2020/940.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation
  2. 2Amendment of Schedule 4 to the Act
  3. 3Digital identity verification services objective
  4. 4Specified persons in relation to the digital identity verification services objective
  5. Signature
  6. Schedule: List of persons within regulation 4(2)(a)
  7. Part 1: UK and English Bodies
  8. 1Paragraph 1
  9. 2Paragraph 2
  10. 3Paragraph 3
  11. 4Paragraph 4
  12. 5Paragraph 5
  13. 6Paragraph 6
  14. 7Paragraph 7
  15. 8Paragraph 8
  16. 9Paragraph 9
  17. 10Paragraph 10
  18. 11Paragraph 11
  19. 12Paragraph 12
  20. 13Paragraph 13
  21. 14Paragraph 14
  22. 15Paragraph 15
  23. 16Paragraph 16
  24. 17Paragraph 17
  25. 18Paragraph 18
  26. 19Paragraph 19
  27. 20Paragraph 20
  28. 21Paragraph 21
  29. 22Paragraph 22
  30. 23Paragraph 23
  31. 24Paragraph 24
  32. Part 2: Welsh Bodies
  33. 25Paragraph 25
  34. 26Paragraph 26
  35. 27Paragraph 27
  36. 28Paragraph 28
  37. Part 3: Scottish Bodies
  38. 29Paragraph 29
  39. 30Paragraph 30
  40. Explanatory note

1Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Digital Government (Disclosure of Information) (Identity Verification Services) Regulations 2023 and come into force 21 days after the day on which they are made.

(2)

These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.

(3)

In these Regulations—

(a)

“the Act” means the Digital Economy Act 2017;

(b)

“digital identity verification service” means an electronic process for confirming the identity of an individual by checking information provided by that individual against information held by another person.

2Amendment of Schedule 4 to the Act

In Schedule 4 to the Act, in Part 1, after paragraph 27, insert—

“27A.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office.

27B.

The Secretary of State for Transport.

27C.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

27D.

The Disclosure and Barring Service.”.

3Digital identity verification services objective

(1)

Paragraph (2) specifies an objective for the purposes of section 35(7) of the Act.

(2)

The digital identity verification services objective is to provide assistance to individuals who are seeking to access public services digitally by—

(a)

enabling those individuals to create a reusable digital identity in a convenient, secure and efficient way,

(b)

improving their physical, mental, emotional, social or economic well-being, and

(c)

supporting the administration or delivery of the functions of a person who is a specified person in relation to this specified objective.

4Specified persons in relation to the digital identity verification services objective

(1)

Paragraph (2) sets out the specified persons from Schedule 4 to the Act who are specified persons in relation to the digital identity verification services objective (“the specified objective”).

(2)

The specified persons are—

(a)

the persons listed in the Schedule to these Regulations, and

(b)

a person providing services in connection with the specified objective to a person within sub-paragraph (a).

Signature

Name

Minister for the Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office

Date

We consent to these Regulations

Name

Name

Two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury

Date

1

The Secretary of State for the Home Department.

2

The Secretary of State for Defence.

3

The Lord Chancellor.

4

The Secretary of State for Justice.

5

The Secretary of State for Education.

6

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in relation to the Secretary of State’s relevant business functions.

7

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

8

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

9

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

10

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

11

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

12

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

13

A county council in England.

14

A district council in England.

15

A London borough council.

16

A combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009f1.

17

The Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority.

18

The Council of the Isles of Scilly.

19

The Greater London Authority.

20

The Chief Land Registrar.

21

The Minister for the Cabinet Office.

22

The Secretary of State for Transport.

23

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

24

The Disclosure and Barring Service.

25

The Welsh Ministers.

26

The Welsh Revenue Authority.

27

A county council in Wales.

28

A community council in Wales.

29

The Scottish Ministers.

30

A council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994f1.

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations relate to the disclosure of information in relation to public service delivery, pursuant to Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30) (“the Act”), and in particular to the creation of the digital identity verification services objective.

Regulation 2 amends Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the Act (UK and English Bodies), so as to add four further persons to the list of specified persons already contained in that Part. This is done because these four persons are to be amongst those specified persons from Schedule 4 who are specified in relation to the digital identity verification services objective.

Regulation 3 specifies the digital identity verification services objective as an objective for the purposes of section 35 of the Act (disclosure of information to improve public service delivery).

Regulation 4 specifies the persons from Schedule 4 to the Act that are specified persons in relation to the digital identity verification services objective. Regulation 4(2)(a) introduces the Schedule, Parts 1 to 3 of which list UK and English bodies, Welsh bodies and Scottish bodies respectively. By virtue of section 35(1) of the Act, a specified person in relation to a specified objective may disclose information held by the person in connection with any of the person’s functions to another person who is a specified person for the purposes of the same objective.

The effect of these Regulations is to expressly permit the disclosure of information between a number of Government Departments and other public bodies, with a view to making it easier and safer for people to prove their identity when seeking to access public services digitally.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.