Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of Digital ID in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government intends to work closely with each of the Devolved Governments.
My colleague, the Minister for Digital Government and Data, Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, was in Northern Ireland on 7 October 2025. He had meetings with representatives across parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, where the issue of the Government's proposed digital ID scheme was discussed.
The Government has made a commitment that the new government-issued digital ID will respect the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations the Government made to the European Commission at the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025 regarding the protection of UK nationals’ rights in the EU.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of targeted advertising on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit for Government communications campaigns.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.
To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the use of digital and AI‑driven communications provides clear, accurate and authoritative information to the public.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.
To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to support people with (a) limited or no smartphone access and (b) no prior valid form of ID through the implementation of the digital ID scheme.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The digital ID scheme will be underpinned with the principle that no one should be left behind. Making this system work for everyone will be a top priority, including those who don't have smartphones, are elderly, or are less digitally confident, so everyone will benefit from simpler, safer access to services.
We recognise that not everyone has the same level of digital access or confidence, and that’s why the scheme will be accompanied by a major government digital inclusion drive.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the objectives were of the UK–France Nuclear Steering Group held in Paris on 10 December 2025.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group was established to strengthen and provide political direction to UK-France nuclear cooperation and coordinate work across nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.
The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group met in Paris on 10 December to confirm progress made since the UK-France Summit in July and to set further direction for the programme of work to strengthen bilateral nuclear cooperation and enhance coordination of UK and French independent nuclear deterrents.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the digital ID scheme on number of hours saved through streamlining public interaction with state services.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development. The new scheme will be inclusive, secure and useful. It will give people more control over their data than they have now, and it will help to make public services easier to access.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 3.16 of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Investigation into the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, published on 16 June 2025, HC 951, by when he expects fixed (a) innovation and (b) digitalisation milestones to be provided.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The government expects fixed (a) innovation and (b) digitalisation targets to be provided when Capita submits its continuous improvement strategy and, for each contract year, an annual continuous improvement plan, once the services have gone live (post December 2025).
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government's proposed Digital ID implementation, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential for significant data breaches.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre is advising on how the new credential is built to the highest standard. Ensuring that security arrangements keep pace with the changing threat landscape will be central to the scheme.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) initial cost of implementation of the proposed Digital ID scheme and (b) annual cost of operating that scheme.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the honourable Member to my answer to PQ93098.