Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Verify Scheme

Thursday 8 July 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Verify continues to support 18 services with over 8 million accounts.
  • The Government will extend the Verify service until April 2022.
  • The new system will focus on protecting citizens' data and ensuring trust.

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Context

The question arises from concerns about the effectiveness and financial viability of the Government's Verify scheme, which is a digital identity verification service.

Question

What recent assessment has his Department made of the (a) viability and (b) value for money of the Verify scheme?

Answer from Julia Lopez

Verify continues to work well, supporting 18 services with over 8 million accounts created. The Government have decided to extend the service until April 2022 while developing a new login system that will enhance access to online services safely.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The viability and value for money were not specifically addressed; only general statements about extending the service were provided.

How: General Statements, Future Development

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Context

Concerns have been raised about the misuse of personal data under GDPR, following a report recommending reduced protections for citizens. The question addresses whether there will be any use of personal data beyond its explicit purpose.

Question

In light of recent reports suggesting reduced GDPR protections, will the Minister assure that no personal data will be used for purposes other than those explicitly stated?

Answer from Julia Lopez

The new system will ensure open conversations about protecting citizens' data, including no data lakes and a new Government data exchange focusing on trust between government and citizen. Any new system must be based on this trust to succeed.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly assure that personal data will not be used for other purposes beyond explicit consent.

How: Open Conversations, Building Trust

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)