UK Minister Declines to Provide Cost Estimates for National Digital ID Scheme
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6mo ago· 4 min readenNews
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Summary
UK tech minister Ian Murray declined to provide cost estimates for the government's nationwide digital ID scheme during a House of Commons committee hearing. The government plans to issue digital identities to all legal residents by August 2029, but MPs raised concerns about departmental funding requirements and the lack of published budget figures. The minister defended the decision not to disclose costs, while committee members questioned the financial burden on government departments before potential savings materialize.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledminister for digital government and data Ian Murray defended the government's decision not to publish budgeted costs of its plans to build digital IDs for every citizen
the government announced plans to issue all legal residents a digital identity by August 2029
MPs question the contributions expected from central departments
Committee hears departments may have to stump up cash before savings materialize
: Committee hears departments may have to stump up cash before savings materialize
