Digital driving licences you can access on your phone set to be rolled out this year

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Ministers are set to unveil plans for digital driving licences next week, according to reports.

The licences will be available through a new government app, potentially by the end of this year, according to The Times. Officials have emphasised that a digital licence would not be mandatory.

The digital wallet that will contain the licence would be accessed through a government app which will have security measures similar to banking apps, according to reports.

There will also be protections in place to ensure only the licence holder will be able to access it, and it is understood this will be made possible through inbuilt security features already in smartphones.

A Government spokesperson said: “This Government is committed to using technology to make people’s lives easier and transform public services.

“Technology now makes it possible for digital identities to be more secure than physical ones, but we remain clear that they will not be made mandatory.”

The photocard driving licence was introduced to the UK in 1998. It had to be used in conjunction with a paper counterpart until that requirement was abolished in 2015.

The licences would be the latest step by the Labour government to transform public services with technology.

Earlier this week, Keir Starmer unveiled plans to champion AI, describing it as a “unique chance” to boost growth and raise living standards.

Tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford has written an AI opportunities action plan, of which ministers have accepted all recommendations. The plan is aimed at improving the UK’s use of artificial intelligence technology.

Sir Keir said: “Harnessing AI and using it to deliver our plan for change requires ambition, purpose and focus.

“This is a unique chance to boost growth, raise living standards, transform public services, create the companies of the future in Britain and deliver our plan for change.”

Among the recommendations the Government has accepted is a commitment to set out within six months plans to improve the UK’s AI infrastructure.

Ministers will aim to expand the UK’s “sovereign”, publicly owned AI capacity twentyfold by 2030, and plan to deliver “a new state of the art supercomputing facility” for research purposes.