Digital ID: Public Consultation

Debate between Vikki Slade and Darren Jones

Tuesday 10th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Darren Jones]

The hon. Lady is wrong. I look forward to bringing provisions in the Bill later this year to prove that case.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

Can the Chief Secretary tell us what happens if the 100-person panel concludes that the scheme will not have the trust, confidence and support of people? Can he confirm that digital efficiencies such as using emails, not letters, and automatically chasing up medicals in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will not be delayed for this project?

[Darren Jones]

The outcomes of the deliberative democracy process will form a legal part of the consultation, so it will feed into the consultation in the normal way. This is the first time that Government have done that. I recognise that it is a bit of an innovation and a risk, but I am so confident we will get members of the panel to a place where they think it is a perfectly sensible thing to do that I think it will be a useful process. Other colleagues may wish to consider it for other policy areas in the future. It will take some time over the next few years to legislate, build the login and integrate it into the app, so we will come back to the hon. Lady’s question on future services towards the back end of this Parliament.

US Department of Justice Release of Files

Debate between Vikki Slade and Darren Jones

Monday 2nd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Darren Jones]

The Prime Minister’s judgment was made clear when, as soon as information that he had been misled by Peter Mandelson became available, he sacked him.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

The actions of Peter Mandelson are a disgrace, and I support the proposals to remove him without delay, but he is not the only British person implicated in the appalling Epstein files. What are the Government doing to ensure that all those linked to Mandelson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and any political, public or civic figure are fully investigated here? We should not just co-operate with US authorities but take action on all the crimes committed on our soil.

[Darren Jones]

The hon. Lady knows that it is not the Government who instigate criminal investigations. It is for the Crown Prosecution Service and the police to take those decisions independently of Ministers. Whether in respect of UK investigations or investigations in the United States, the Government have made it very clear that all individuals should comply with those investigations and make any information available, to ensure that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s acts can see justice.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vikki Slade and Darren Jones

Tuesday 1st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Darren Jones]

This Labour Government in Westminster are delivering for the people of Scotland. As a consequence of our spending review, Scotland will receive an average of £50.9 billion per year over this Parliament—the largest real-terms increase in funding since devolution began. The only reason there is a black hole in the budget in Scotland is because of the SNP Government, and the people of Scotland need a new direction with a Labour Government in Scotland.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

T5. Representatives of a not-for-profit care company in my constituency feel that the Government are waging war on the care sector. I met residents and staff at a Sunday lunch at Magna care home, and the managers told me that they cannot recruit locally at all and that, because of the changes to social care visas, they are struggling to recruit internationally. I know the Government want to build our own workforce, but what are they planning to do to support organisations while we get the training in place, so that we do not see care homes going bust?

[Darren Jones]

On behalf of the House, may I thank social care workers for the service they provide in all our constituencies? As a result of this Labour Government commitment’s to social workers and the social care system, we will have increased funding for social care by £4 billion by 2028-29 through the local government settlements, and we will bring forward a fair pay agreement to make sure that there is a fair deal for those people serving our constituents on the frontline.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vikki Slade and Darren Jones

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service has suffered a real-terms funding cut, partly because the majority of firefighters are on call so the employer national insurance contributions were not sufficiently compensated. Will Ministers commit to reviewing the funding formula to fit the needs of communities, and to undertaking a local impact assessment on the effect of the funding cuts on public and firefighter safety?

[Darren Jones]

The Government have already increased NHS spending by £22.6 billion, police funding by £1.1 billion, and fire and rescue authority funding by £65.5 million. Further spending will be set out in the June spending review, but this is another example of a Labour Government delivering on the promise of change.