Freedom of Information Act Request

Ref: FOI 20-21 14

Date issued: 17 September 2020

Subject: Identification documents

Question(s):  

1. Please list the services that require users to verify their identity by sending in physical forms of documentation (e.g. a passport)?
2. For each of these services, how many identities were verified in this way in your 2019/20 financial year, and what did it cost to process?
3. Are these verifications performed by a third party or conducted by an in-house team?
4. Please list the services that allow users to use a digital method for proving their identity; and name the methods used (e.g. Gov.UK Verify or other equivalent digital biometric identity method)?
5. For each of these services, how many identities were verified in this way in your 2019/20 financial year, and what did it cost to process?
By ‘identity verification’ I mean the same definition used by Government which is ‘a digital identity is information used by computer systems to represent a unique person, organisation, application or device. So for a citizen or consumer, a “digital identity” is a trusted way of proving one or more attributes about themselves online or offline and the linkage of those attributes to that same person as a uniquely identifiable individual.’

Response:

1. There are no services used. However, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority’s (GLAA) licensing application process requires a photocopy of the applicant’s passport or EU national identity card. For applicants outside the EU, a passport is required. During the inspection with the GLAA Compliance Officer the applicant or Licence holder undergoes a physical check of the actual passport/identity card.

2. The information in relation to question 1 is not held in a reportable format. Each inspection may include the identities of the Principal Authority, Directors and Alternative Business Representatives to be verified. To extract this information would involve a manual search of each individual inspection file for 2019/20 to examine, identify and extract the actual number. A separate cost for checking identity within the overall cost of the inspection is not a cost that can be separated out. Under s12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a public authority does not have to comply with the request if the cost of compliance exceeds 18 hours or £450 of staff time which would apply in this instance. Therefore, this part of your request is exempt. However, under our duty to assist we have listed the number of inspections undertaken by the Compliance Team for 2019/20. This will give you a reasonable estimate of the number of identities verified.

GLAA Inspections (1 April 2019 - 31 March 2020)

3. In-house.

4. None.

5. N/A.

A pdf version of this page can be viewed by clicking the link below:

FOI 20-21 14 - Identification documents