Well thank you Ambassador, and thank you to the Atlantic Council for hosting this event at this very important time.

In the late 1990’s I worked for Shell, where one of my first roles was a ship refurbishment project in Norfolk, Virginia, just south of here.

And I was overseeing two LNG vessels that had been mothballed due to lack of demand. Back then in the oil industry we were modelling oil prices at $10 a barrel – today it is heading towards $200 a barrel.

It feels like a different world.

We thought that energy crises, expansionism and geopolitical strife were behind us.

We thought that peace and stability were inevitable – not something that we had to work and invest in.

Now those illusions have been shattered.

And we are paying the price for those years of complacency.

Russia built its capabilities in plain sight, violating its commitments and acting with impunity – in Georgia, in Crimea and beyond.

We knew what Putin was doing.

We had the intelligence and Putin announced his designs on Ukraine in public.

He set his intentions down in black and white and put them up on the Kremlin website. But it was difficult for any of us to believe.

Well, we believe it now.

The world has woken up.

And the era of complacency is over.

We must rise to this moment.

We must pledge that never again will we allow such aggression to go unchecked.

This means acting now. It means being tough – because we know the costs will rise if we don’t.

The public understand the gravity of this moment.

They see the terrible suffering caused by this barbaric and illegal invasion against a European democracy and they recognise that the world has changed.

Putin has launched a full-frontal assault not just on the Ukrainian people, but also on the very foundation of our societies and the rules by which we coexist – sovereignty, democracy, the UN Charter.

He has shaken the architecture of global security.

The invasion of Ukraine is a paradigm shift on the scale of 9/11.

And how we respond today will set the pattern for this new era.

If we let Putin’s expansionism go unchallenged it would send a dangerous message to would-be aggressors and authoritarians around the world. And we simply can’t allow that to happen.

We have to start with the principle that the only thing aggressors understand is strength.

And we must work together to ensure that Putin loses in Ukraine.

Putin thought that his tanks would roll into Kyiv at will.

Instead, he has faced fierce, organised and tenacious resistance.

At Hostomel Airport, in Kharkiv, in Mariupol and beyond, new chapters have been written in the history of valour.

I pay tribute to the bravery of the Ukrainian people and to President Zelensky’s remarkable leadership.

Putin also expected the world to be slow and to be divided.

Instead, he has been met with a resurgence of political unity and strength.

In the UN General Assembly 141 countries voted to condemn Russia’s actions.

Putin’s only supporters were Syria, Eritrea, Belarus and North Korea.

Never did we think that the great nation of Russia would be reduced to this – aside from Eritrea, its only allies are now a vassal state, a rogue state, and a war criminal.

Putin is shunned and isolated. He has made his country a global pariah.

As things get tougher in Ukraine, we will continue to increase our support.

The UK was the first European country to send lethal military aid to Ukraine and we are a top humanitarian donor.

The United States, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Poland, the EU and others have also stepped up.

Our coordinated sanctions were unprecedented and they were overwhelming – cutting off funding for Putin’s war machine and putting him under growing pressure at home.

The fact that the UK, US, EU, Japan and Canada moved in unison gave this action incredible scale.

It has been truly global.

Even Switzerland has put aside its historic neutrality.

Singapore has imposed bilateral sanctions for the first time since the 1970’s.

And in the United Kingdom we have put in place the toughest package of sanctions in our history, hitting over 200 individuals, entities and subsidiaries, including Putin himself.

We’ve hit £300 billion worth of Russian bank assets – more than any other nation.

And this week we changed the law in the United Kingdom to allow us to take even tougher action against oligarchs and others around Putin.

Today we have sanctioned Roman Abramovich and other major oligarchs, showing that we will act without fear and without favour.

This effort has been phenomenal, and it has been united. We have done a huge amount.

But let me be clear – we are still not doing enough.

We must double down and we have to ramp up the global pressure on Putin.

We have to go further on sanctions to tighten the vice– including a full SWIFT ban, freezing all Russian bank assets, and encouraging more countries to join the effort.

We want a situation where they can’t access their funds, they can’t clear their payments, their trade can’t flow, their ships can’t dock and their planes can’t land.

And we must work together to ensure justice is done at the ICC and Putin is held to account for his appalling actions.

And we must do more to deliver defensive weapons and respond to the growing humanitarian emergency.

We will do all of this. And we will shape this new global era for global security.

If we are to persuade Putin and future Putins that we are serious, we need to do things differently.

First of all, we must end the strategic dependence which puts our economies and security at the risk and mercy of malign actors.

Europe remains deeply reliant on Russian energy. This provides a vital source of revenue for Putin – and it must end.

Together with the United States we announced that we will phase out Russian oil imports.

And I welcome the EU’s plan to cut its imports of Russian gas by two thirds this year.

We are working with our G-7 partners to cut this dependence once and for all, to put a ceiling on the percentage of Russian energy imports and committing to bring it down over time.

And we need to look at how we can help those countries especially dependent on Russian energy, and how we can increase supplies elsewhere.

This will require shared commitment, over time.

And it will require greater energy investment in new infrastructure, and for producers to be willing to export more.

I applaud President Biden’s commitment to release 30 million barrels from the US Reserve.

But we must also look at other areas of dependence.

Whether it’s minerals or rare earth metals, we should work to prevent future problems before they emerge.

Secondly, we need to strengthen our deterrence.

In the UK we significantly increased our defence spending last year, ready for this more competitive age, recognising Russia as the most acute threat.

We are NATO’s biggest contributor in Europe.

And we are doubling the number of UK troops in Estonia and Poland.

The United States continues to lead the way on spending in NATO. And others are stepping up – we are seeing a real unity of purpose.

I applaud Germany’s historic decision to up its military spending.

But the fact is we all need to go further.

Many countries still aren’t meeting their target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

And let’s be clear – that is a minimum.

In the Cold War we were spending far more – upwards of 5%.

We should be ready to do whatever it takes to respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

We must redouble our efforts to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.

We have to support non-NATO countries that could be the next target of Putin’s aggression – like our friends in the Caucuses and the Western Balkans.

And we must deepen our partnerships in other areas – like AUKUS, our trilateral partnership with Australia, or our work with Canada and others to boost security in the Arctic Circle.

The NATO Strategic Concept and the US National Security Strategy will be vital in pointing the way forward.

We need to ensure that our global security architecture is fit for the new era.

And we must lead a new global consensus where the rules are weakest – in technology, in space and cyber space.

And we have to reinforce and globalize our arms control regimes.

We don’t know where the next threat may arise – and we know that conflict anywhere threatens security everywhere.

Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are indivisible.

China looms large over this debate.

Beijing is increasing its assertiveness and expanding its armed forces at breakneck speed.

They claim a policy of non-interference.

They claim to respect sovereignty and have refused to support Russia’s aggression at the UN.

We want to see them follow through on those claims.

Thirdly, we need to develop stronger alliances around the world.

The UK is deepening our global economic, diplomatic and security ties. And we need to see the entire free world reach out.

We are rallying those 141 countries that voted to condemn Russia’s actions in the UN, and we’re persuading those that abstained to toughen their resolve.

We need to draw more countries into the orbit of those who are prepared to stand up for sovereignty.

In the past we have neglected the strategic importance of some of these countries – including partners in the Indo-Pacific, Africa and the Gulf.

They want alternatives to working with authoritarian regimes who load their balance sheets with debt.

So we have to provide an alternative through British International Investment, America’s initiative, Build Back Better World, and other initiatives from like-minded partners.

And we shouldn’t let anything detract from our unity.

That’s why we must fix the problems of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

All of the signatories of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement share a commitment to peace and stability in Northern Ireland. The UK is firmly opposed to a hard border.

The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement protects East-West ties as well as North South ties.

At present, however, the protocol is creating an imbalance between communities.

The UK has put forward proposals to enable free trade to flow within the UK at the same time as protecting the EU’s Single Market.

Our objective is that the Protocol can enjoy the support of all communities and ensure that the democratic institutions of Northern Ireland can function.

And we will need increased political will on all sides to make that happen – and pragmatism from the EU.

I want us all to work together to resolve our differences and to be focused on the threats that we face, the immediate threats to European stability and security.

Our ultimate aim – working with all our allies – is to make the world safe for freedom and democracy.

The transatlantic relationship is vital here.

Britain and America have always been at the centre of European and global security – at the centre of a strong G7 with our friends in the EU, Canada, and Japan.

We stand together to face down aggression around the world – from the South China Sea to Eastern Europe.

President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson are seized of this task.

That’s why in Cornwall last year, they signed the New Atlantic Charter.

They promised to renew the architecture of international cooperation for the 21st century.

And they pledged to stand up for democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Putin should take note.

We will not rest until he fails in Ukraine and the country’s sovereignty is restored.

Putin must lose, because the consequences if he doesn’t are huge.

So we will keep strengthening our response, replacing doubt with determination, and complacency with conviction.

We must never let our guard down again.

We will be tough – not because we want conflict, but because we want to prevent it.

Be tough, get peace.

In this new era for global security, let that be our rallying call.

Thank you.

Many thanks for that kind introduction and good evening everyone.

It’s a huge pleasure to be back here in Glasgow for the Maritime UK Awards just months after I last visited this wonderful city for the historic COP26 climate change conference, where seaborne trade was a hot topic for discussion.

And where better to celebrate the world-class excellence of the UK’s maritime industry and shine a spotlight on our ambitions for the future than here on the banks of the River Clyde?

This great cradle of shipbuilding innovation is the birthplace of some of the world’s fastest, largest and most iconic vessels.

From the powerful battleships that have spearheaded the Royal Navy down the years – with wonderful names like HMS Colossus, HMS Tiger and HMS Repulse, to luxury ocean liners such as RMS Queen Elizabeth and the QE2 that have showcased British shipbuilding prowess globally, to the thousands of cargo vessels that have connected these islands with far-flung markets overseas and kept the arteries of global trade flowing.

‘Clydeside built’ is shorthand worldwide for precision marine engineering at its very best.

And as the United Kingdom charts a new course for herself as an independent trading nation once again, maritime businesses based here on Clydeside, and our other great maritime hubs across the United Kingdom will be crucial to driving the Global Britain we are building towards as we go full steam ahead into our 21st-century trading successes.

This industry is helping forge new ties for British trade across the oceans as we bring down barriers to global commerce and deliver the benefits of free trade and open markets to every region of the UK, levelling up our country.

And it is providing the steel behind our maritime security in an increasingly uncertain world.

With the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, built in Roysth playing a vital role in keeping global sea lanes open and safe for British shipping, and indeed this week now both out on operations protecting our friends and allies.

Indeed, before the Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine that same shipyard had won a contract to construct fast missile boats for the Ukrainian navy with £1.7bn of support from our export credits agency UKEF to supply its Arrowhead 140 frigate design to Poland as part of that country’s Miecznik naval programme, working successfully together with Thales UK, MDBA UK and the UK government during the procurement campaign.

These projects are critical as we watch evolving security challenges which the world faces, and remind us that to keep trade flowing and nations’ maritime borders safe, modern ships and their defences are vital.

Our maritime sector is pivotal to our prosperity here at home too – bringing £17 billion into our economy and directly supporting 220,000 British jobs.

We boast world-class excellence in areas such as marine equipment and systems, autonomous vessels and marine science.

As shown by the superb products and services of the companies that have been recognised for their work here this evening.

Excellence from Actisense, CyberOwl and Babcock LGE which are shortlisted for the Maritime UK export award.

The potential for trade-led growth in this sector is huge, with my department predicting new global and civil maritime export opportunities worth hundreds of millions of pounds over the next five years.

Opportunities that I am determined to help British firms harness.

Not least through the free trade agreements we are signing with our global partners.

Deals that we have agreed with 70 countries plus the EU so far, accounting for more than £770bn-worth of UK trade.

Giving British firms freer and fairer access to key global markets, from Japan, to Australia to Singapore – with more in the pipeline.

But as we all know the demands of global trade are changing fast and we must work together to adapt quickly or risk being left stranded in the wake of our competitors.

Nowhere more so than in the transition to zero-carbon shipping – as the race to develop the green vessels of the future speeds up.

Where once we produced the world’s biggest and most powerful vessels, now we must lead the charge in building the greenest and most technologically advanced.

Fuelled by our leading British resources, skills and expertise in this field as we strive to meet the long-term temperature goals set out by the Paris Agreement and support the International Maritime Organization’s target of reducing Green House Gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050.

As we work to build a cleaner, greener, more sustainable maritime trade network that is fit for the world of tomorrow.

This is not just an economic necessity it is an existential one for our planet.

And one of my top priorities as Secretary of State for International Trade.

After all it was here in Glasgow during COP26 where the United Kingdom, alongside our global partners, signed the Clydebank Declaration committing ourselves to establishing at least six zero-emissions, green shipping corridors by the middle of this decade.

We are making progress in this field, with British maritime firms already engaged in creating game-changing green tech solutions.

Innovative companies such as Silverstream Technologies, the British manufacturer of a revolutionary, efficiency-boosting air lubrication system which DIT has supported in exporting to China.

But we know we must go further and faster in harnessing the benefits of this maritime transformation, keeping Britain ahead of the game.

My department is helping unlock this potential through our Green Shipbuilding Export Campaign which covers the full spectrum of maritime technologies, combining the resources of DIT’s civil and defence sales team in identifying and developing green export opportunities worldwide and giving British businesses a competitive advantage through early intelligence and market analysis while promoting this country’s green maritime capabilities to international buyers.

We are currently carrying out detailed scoping exercises across the globe to give us the information we need to corner this market.

Bringing more specialists from across industry on board to help drive progress towards this goal.

We are working to unlock the benefits of maritime trade across the board, built upon the bedrock of our Maritime Trade and Investment fice-year plan, which was developed in close partnership with Maritime UK and aims to increase Britain’s global market share and make this country the destination of choice for maritime investment.

And I am pleased to announce tonight the launch of our new Maritime Capability Campaign Office which will supercharge this work.

As set out in the Board of Trade’s new policy paper on the future of UK maritime trade, this influential new office will sit within my department – bringing together our defence and civil maritime capabilities into a larger single unit as we seek to land a greater share of this crucial global market.

It will build a portfolio of high-quality maritime trading opportunities for British firms to embrace utilising the UK’s key strengths, such as our world-class defence and security export capabilities and our leadership in low carbon technologies

And it will work with the National Shipbuilding Office to develop an innovative and competitive British maritime offer for investors using data-driven analysis to outmanoeuvre our international competitors.

This work will be supported by UKEF whose job it is to ensure that no viable UK export fails through lack of finance, helping British firms of all kinds and all sizes to take their first step into global trade.

Britain’s maritime industry will also be energised by the launch of our refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy. This refresh aims to spur greater productivity in the UK’s shipyards, strengthen local manufacturers in the supply chain and blaze a trail in technological and environmental innovation.

This includes setting out a 30 Year Cross-Government Shipbuilding Pipeline to give greater long-term clarity on public sector orders, investing more than £200m in a new UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions – UK-SHORE – to help fund green research and innovation and bringing the work of government, devolved administrations, industry and training providers across the UK together under the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce to supply maritime businesses with the qualified workers they need to thrive.

Meanwhile, DIT’s international network of trade advisors is working hard to connect British maritime manufacturers and suppliers with opportunities overseas, helping our firms to navigate sometimes choppy trading waters in lucrative foreign markets and providing them with expert in-country sector and market-specific intelligence.

While our GREAT UK marketing team is helping maritime businesses to showcase their expertise worldwide at major global trade shows such as Asia-Pacific Maritime in Singapore later this month, Nor-shipping in Oslo in April and Posidonia 2022 in Athens in June.

So as we set sail on a new voyage as a sovereign trading nation, for British trade it is vital that our maritime industry is fighting fit to surf the economic waves of the future. We must be strong enough to ride the powerful trading currents of a fast-changing world, which is why we are putting the resources and expertise in place to help British businesses embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and opening the door to trade even wider for firms from across this industry, based here on the Clyde and around our United Kingdom.

As we build a greener, more productive and more technologically advanced British maritime industry – forging a bigger, bolder, brighter trading future for our country that is founded upon our seaborne strength – and cement Britain’s place as one of the great cradles of maritime progress for generations to come.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has today announced changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme to make the process quicker and simpler for those fleeing Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.

From Tuesday, Ukraine passport holders will no longer need to attend in-person appointments to submit fingerprints or facial verification before they come to the UK, after the Home Secretary received assurances that the necessary national security checks could be maintained while not requiring biometrics for the initial application.

The remaining checks continue to ensure we provide the robust scrutiny required for all applicants.

Confirmation of permission to travel to the UK will also be provided, meaning the majority of applications can be completed entirely online without ever attending a visa appointment centre, speeding up the process and allowing people to come to the UK faster.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

The Ukraine Family Scheme provides an immediate pathway for those Ukrainians with family already settled in the UK to come to our country. It is designed to allow as many people as possible to come to Britain and gives them immediate access to the support they need to not just survive but to thrive.

The scheme was developed in close consultation with Ukrainian leaders and the diaspora community and we continue to work with them to make changes as necessary. That is why we are now making the process quicker and simpler by removing the need to physically visit Visa Application Centres for many of those who are making the perilous journey across Europe. This will mean we can welcome more families here more swiftly.

Given the real and varied threats we face, we must consider national security alongside our humanitarian instinct and desire to help as many people as possible in the shortest possible timeframe. I can reassure the British people that the changes announced today have been made in close consultation with relevant officials and agencies so as to ensure our national security is not compromised.

Under the new application process passport holders will apply online and be granted 6 months’ leave to enter the UK outside of the rules, enabling them to work, study and claim benefits immediately. Once they have submitted biometric data in the UK they will have their leave extended to 36 months.

This applies only to passports – not ID Cards – however this will be kept under review, in line with security advice.

The changes are designed to get as many people their visas as quickly as possible, while reducing pressure on visa application centres and ensuring those who pose a threat to the UK are prevented from entering.

The Home Office has already ramped up visa application capacity in other countries bordering Ukraine, including Hungary, Romania, Poland and Moldova. A new pop-up Visa Application Centre in Rzeszow, Poland, has been opened, while the combined total number of appointments across Europe has increased from 2,000 to 13,000 appointments.

The Ukraine Family Scheme allows people settled in the UK to bring immediate and extended family members from Ukraine to the UK. This week the eligibility was increased to include aunts, uncles and in-laws.

The Ukraine Family Scheme is part of a series of measures that have already been announced:

• Last month the Home Secretary confirmed that flexibility would be available to support Ukrainians who are on work, study or visit visas to switch to different visa routes extending their stay and those on seasonal work visas would have their leave temporarily extended.
• The Prime Minister also announced that we are working at pace to establish the Local Sponsorship Scheme for Ukrainians with no ties to the UK to come here. The uncapped route will allow sponsors, such as communities or local authorities, to bring people to the UK. Sponsored individuals will be able to work and the sponsor would provide housing and integration support.

The routes and changes to visas come alongside the UK’s ongoing efforts to tackle the emerging humanitarian crisis, which were bolstered this week by additional funding, with total emergency and aid support for Ukraine now at £400m, alongside the 1,000 troops who are on standby to help those forced to flee.

Moving aid and donations to the people of Ukraine will be made easier thanks to a customs easement, the UK Government announced today.

The simplification of customs processes will apply to goods intended to support those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine which are exported from Great Britain. Provided the goods are not exported to, or through, Russia or Belarus, then these simplified processes apply to qualifying goods regardless of the destination to allow maximum flexibility to get aid to where the need is greatest.

The government still recommends that organisations and people, who would like to help, donate cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.

However, businesses, charities and community organisations sending aid from British ports will be able to make a customs declaration by speaking to customs officers or simply by the act of driving through a port.

They will no longer need to complete and submit electronic customs declarations to HMRC before exporting these goods, and smaller movements will not need to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service to pass through ports where it is in operation.

The easement will also remove other customs formalities, such as needing to notify HMRC when the goods have been exported.

The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:

People and businesses across the UK have already responded with immense generosity, donating millions of pounds to support those forced to flee their homes as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Government advice remains that the best way to help the Ukrainian people is to donate money through the Disasters Emergency Committee or other trusted charities.

However, we appreciate that people and businesses may still wish to donate aid directly to the region, so this new customs easement will ensure that humanitarian aid is fast-tracked from Great Britain to help those most affected.

The easement, which excludes all controlled goods and dual use goods, will be in place for a limited time, which will be announced in due course.

The easement comes into effect immediately.

Anyone requiring advice about transporting humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees can contact the free-to-use Export Support Service (ESS) or ESS helpline 0300 303 8955 which can be used by individuals, businesses or charities.

Government advice remains that the best way to help the Ukrainian people is to donate money through the Disasters Emergency Committee or other trusted charities.

The UK has committed a £220 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine to help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating situation, creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities and medical supplies. Our humanitarian aid takes the UK’s overall support for Ukraine during the current crisis to nearly £400 million, after a £100 million economic package for Ukraine was announced last month.

• Organisations will need to gain a new trustmark to show they can handle people’s identity data in a safe and consistent way.

• New Office for Digital Identities and Attributes established to oversee strong security and privacy standards for digital IDs

People will be able to easily and quickly prove their identity using digital methods instead of having to rely on traditional physical documents, under new plans unveiled by the government today.

Following a public consultation, the government has announced it will introduce legislation to make digital identities as trusted and secure as official documents such as passports and driving licences.

Digital identities, which are a virtual form of ID, reduce the time, effort and expense that sharing physical documents can take when people need to provide legal proof of who they are, for example when buying a home or starting a new job.

A new Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (ODIA) will be set up in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as an interim governing body for digital identities.

Digital identity solutions can be accessed in a number of ways such as via a phone app or website and can be used in-person or online to verify a person’s identity. It will be for people and businesses to decide what digital identity technology works for them to prove their identity, should they choose to create a digital identity at all.

For example, if a person wants to prove they are over 18 to buy age-restricted products, they could create a digital identity with a trusted organisation by sharing personal information such as their name and date of birth. This digital identity could then be used to prove to a retailer they are over-18, without the need to reveal the personal information used to create the digital identity, boosting users’ privacy, unlike physical documents which may disclose date of birth, name and address.

The ODIA will have the power to issue an easily recognised trustmark to certified digital identity organisations, to prove they meet the security and privacy standards needed to handle people’s data in a safe and consistent way.

The ODIA will ensure trust-marked organisations adhere to the highest standards of security and privacy.

Digital identities can also help tackle fraud, which hit record highs with an estimated 5 million cases in the year ending September 2021, by reducing the amount of personal data shared online and making it harder for fraudsters to obtain and use stolen identities.

The government intends to bring forward the necessary legislation when parliamentary time allows to:

• Establish a robust and secure accreditation and certification process and trustmark so organisations can clearly prove they are meeting the highest security and privacy standards needed to use digital identities.
• Create a legal gateway to allow trusted organisations to carry out verification checks against official data held by public bodies to help validate a person’s identity.
• Confirm the legal validity of digital forms of identification are equal to physical forms of identification, such as physical passports

It is committed to ensuring digital identities are not compulsory and people will still be able to use available paper documentation.

Data Minister Julia Lopez said:

This government is committed to unlocking the power of data to benefit people across the UK.

The legislation we’re proposing will ensure that there are trusted and secure ways for people and organisations to use digital identities, should they choose to.

Heather Wheeler MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, said;

The government is delivering a number of ambitious and interlinked policy initiatives to prepare the UK for the digital world, and to improve the lives of businesses and citizens.

These initiatives, alongside enabling legislation, will help ensure the UK is able to take full advantage of the opportunities that digital identities and the wider digital economy have to offer.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the consultation exercise. By working together, and sharing knowledge, experience and expertise, we will continue to deliver transformative digital policies.

In advance of the proposed legislation, landlords, letting agents and employers will be able to use certified new technology to carry out the right to work and the right to rent checks online from the 6th April, 2022 and prove their eligibility to work or rent more easily.

Sue Daley, Director for Technology and Innovation, techUK said:

Today’s announcements are a positive step forward in the UK’s implementation of digital identity. techUK has welcomed DCMS’s efforts in working with industry to get us to where we are today.

Given the next steps now being taken, continued cooperation between industry and government remains the best chance for a successful implementation of a digital identity ecosystem in the UK. However, we must also ensure we bring citizens on this journey with us: building public trust and confidence in Digital ID must be a key priority as we move forward.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Please find a link to the digital identities and consultation response here