Question to the Cabinet Office:

o ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the introduction of national identity cards.

The design and delivery of the national digital identity credential are subject to a public consultation, which will launch in the new year. The feedback received from members of the public and wider stakeholders will inform our final approach and enable a more accurate assessment of costs.

While an early multi-year estimate from the OBR has been reported, we do not recognise it as an accurate cost for the programme. The scope of the scheme, and therefore its cost, have yet to be decided.

Any costs in this Spending Review period will be met within existing settlements, and a full consultation will be launched in the new year.