Digital ID

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Vallance of Balham

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

Let me just try to be clear about a point that I think is important. The required element of this is the bit to do with the right to work. The notion that this is available for all sorts of other things which people can choose to be part of or not is completely separate. The same structure will be used, but the only mandatory part is that, to have the ability and right to work, you will have to show this. The noble Baroness is quite right, of course, that there are lots of things that people want to use this for now. That is why work is going ahead already on the digital wallet and the ability to use those things. They are, of course, separate from a requirement to have this for the right to work.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

My Lords, further to the question posed by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, has careful consideration been given to the circumstances on the island of Ireland, where there is quite a lot of cross-border working, both from south to north and north to south? The Government should also be mindful of the Good Friday agreement. Many people, including me, see their identity as Irish and would not want a digital ID issued by the British Government. Can my noble friend the Minister tell the House what discussions have taken place with the Irish Government regarding this particular issue and the method of implementation? Have all those issues regarding identity and nationality been fully considered?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

We are, of course, fully committed to everything in the Good Friday agreement. My colleague, the Minister for Digital Government and Data, was in Northern Ireland just last week. He had meetings with the Deputy Speaker, Northern Ireland’s Community Minister and the Finance Minister. Engagement with the Irish Government is planned as well. This will be done in close collaboration, recognising exactly the point about the desire of people either to have or not to have something linked to this. Of course, Ireland is introducing its own digital ID scheme as part of the EU. We intend to stay very close on this and make sure we do this in partnership.

Scientists: Working in the United Kingdom

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Vallance of Balham

Tuesday 13th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

An estimated 17% of R&D workers in the UK in 2023 were non-UK. In that year, 7% were EU nationals and 10% were non-EU. In the university sector, about 37% at the top research and teaching universities are non-UK nationals. About 25% of the life sciences workforce was born outside the UK. The noble Viscount is quite right that there are many people we need here. We have always needed them, we will need them, and we are monitoring very carefully how these numbers are evolving.

As part of the immigration White Paper, the labour market evidence group is being set up—comprised of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, the Department for Work and Pensions, Skills England and the Migration Advisory Committee—to make sure that we have a clear view of future needs.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

My Lords, will my noble friend the Minister talk to his colleagues in the Home Office to ensure that the graduate route, which was established some years ago and provides universities in the UK with academic talent and scientists from other countries—I think particularly of Queen’s University Belfast, which is assisted by students and scientists from south-east Asia—is not minimised or undermined in any way?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question. In answer to the first part, I can confirm that the Minister sitting next to me heard that, so the Home Office will be aware. The graduate visa system is an important system. The changes in the immigration White Paper effectively reduce from 24 months to 18 months the amount of time a graduate has after finishing their course to get a job. The reason for that is clear: to try to make sure these people get jobs that are highly skilled and that they can continue in, rather than jobs that are not highly skilled.

This is an important route. It is worth noting that in 2023-24, the number of graduate visas increased by 49%. This has been a rapidly growing area. It is important that we make sure we get this right and that these people enter high-skilled jobs.

Artificial Intelligence: Emissions

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Vallance of Balham

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

The ability to become self-sufficient in energy is of course dependent on renewable energy, the price of which has come down dramatically since it was first introduced. Making sure that the UK is protected from the volatility of supply of energy from elsewhere is an important part of what this Government are doing. The energy supply from renewables will increase as we get towards a carbon-neutral position, which will also increase growth in terms of the technologies invented, developed and implemented in this country.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

My Lords, could my noble friend the Minister ensure that discussions take place as quickly as possible to ensure that, as well as a solution regarding data centres, there is a solution or a resolution in respect of the UK-EU emissions trading scheme, which is due to expire shortly?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that question. Discussions are ongoing on all these matters, and I am happy to get a detailed response to her.

Online Safety

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Vallance of Balham

Thursday 16th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for online safety posed by small, high-risk online platforms, such as 8Chan.

[The Minister of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Lord Vallance of Balham) (Lab)]

The Government are extremely concerned about the impact of small but risky services that host hateful and harmful content. The Online Safety Act will require such services to remove illegal content and, where relevant, protect children from legal but harmful material. Ofcom has established a Small but Risky supervision task force in recognition of their unique risks. The regulator will identify, manage and enforce against such services where they fail to comply with their duties.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend the Minister for his Answer, but will he set out whether the Government expect Ofcom to take enforcement action against small but high-harm sites that are identified as problems? Have they made an assessment of the likely timescales for enforcement action, including the use of service disruption measures?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that important question. Where there is evidence of non-compliance, Ofcom has set out that it will move quickly to enforcement, and that action will follow in spring this year, because companies will have had three months to get their positions sorted out—I think that 16 March is the date by which they have to do it. Ofcom will be able to apply fines, including global levies, and it will be able to apply to the courts for business disruption measures and have the flexibility to submit these applications urgently.