It appears that the government has backtracked on plans to require workers to register with its new digital ID programme to prove their right to work in the UK.
While right-to-work checks will still be carried out digitally by 2029, such as by using biometric passports, registering for a digital ID will be optional.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that mandatory digital right-to-work checks will be brought in to help crack down on illegal working, but that the digital ID will be one way that a worker could use to prove their eligibility to work.
The idea of compulsory digital IDs has proved unpopular with nearly three million people signing a parliamentary petition to oppose their introduction.
Details on how the digital ID will work are not yet available. Many expect it to be based on the Gov.uk One Login and the yet to be launched, Gov.uk Wallet.
In the meantime, it is already possible to use government-certified digital verification services to do passport checks on British and Irish citizens. The Home Office also provide an online service for verifying the status of non-British or Irish citizens where the individual’s immigration status is held electronically.
UK businesses are increasingly worried about rising operating costs, with concern over both energy and fuel prices reaching their highest levels since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) began tracking them.
Small UK companies are being asked to develop security ideas and products for Britain’s transport sector with an unusually tight deadline. As the geopolitical situation becomes increasingly dangerous, with sabotage to the UK’s physical and cyber infrastructure by countries such as Russia and Iran increasing daily, new security projects are topping the government’s ‘hopeful’ list.
