▁as ▁ident ifying ▁inter medi aries ▁or ▁business es . ▁ ▁The ▁In frastr ucture ▁and ▁Project s ▁Author ity ▁( IP A ) ▁conducted ▁a ▁review ▁of ▁Ver ify ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁and ▁found ▁White hall ▁depart ments ▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁continue ▁fund ing ▁the ▁project . ▁A ▁subsequent ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁IP A ▁recommended ▁that ▁the ▁GO V . UK ▁Ver ify ▁identity ▁ass urance ▁programme ▁should ▁be ▁terminated . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Jo ▁Pl att , ▁the ▁Sh adow ▁Minister ▁for ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁Office , ▁said ▁that ▁£ 1 3 0 ▁million ▁had ▁been ▁spent ▁on ▁developing ▁GO V . UK ▁Ver ify . ▁ ▁Future ▁development ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁G DS ▁announced ▁that ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁working ▁with ▁standards ▁bodies , ▁identity ▁prov iders ▁and ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁to : ▁ ▁Make ▁the ▁standards ▁easier ▁to ▁follow ▁and ▁use ▁ ▁Accept ▁more ▁types ▁of ▁identity ▁evidence ▁ ▁Remove ▁bar riers ▁to ▁reuse ▁of ▁digital ▁ident ities ▁across ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁sector ▁ ▁Make ▁better ▁use ▁of ▁government ▁data ▁to ▁help ▁people ▁prove ▁who ▁they ▁are ▁online ▁ ▁Open ▁up ▁the ▁market ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁standards - based ▁approach ▁However ▁there ▁are ▁concerns ▁over ▁this ▁approach ▁and ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁identity ▁prov iders ▁- ▁Exper ian , ▁Bar cl ays ▁and ▁Sec ure ▁Identity ▁- ▁have ▁indicated ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁withdraw ing