The Digital Government (Disclosure of Information) (Identity Verification Services) Regulations 2024

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.