Digital driving licences will be introduced later this year under plans to use technology to “overhaul” public services.

The licences will be available on a new government mobile phone app and will be accepted as a form of ID for buying restricted items like alcohol and for voting in elections, as well as proving someone’s right to drive.

Veteran cards will also be available on the “GOV.UK Wallet” app when it launches this summer, with DBS checks, Blue Badges and other government-issued credentials to come later down the line.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said the app “will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually”.

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The changes follow a report which found that public services were missing out on £45bn in productivity savings because of old and outdated technology.

The app will also aim to make using government services easier, such as applying for childcare and benefits, finding an apprenticeship or reporting a lost passport.

Other features will include notifications on new policy and service announcements, while an AI chatbot may be added in the future to help people find answers to “complex and niche questions”, the government said.

Physical documents will still be available, but the aim is that all government services will have to offer a digital alternative by the end of 2027.

The digital documents will make use of technology built into smartphones, like facial recognition, so they “will be more secure, even if a device is lost”, the government said.

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Mr Kyle added: “Along with CDs, the Walkman and flip phones, the overflowing drawer rammed with letters from the government and hours spent on hold to get a basic appointment will soon be consigned to history.

“GOV.UK Wallet will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually.

“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before.”

Several countries have already introduced digital licences, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland and Norway, as well as some US states.

In the EU, every member state will be required to introduce at least one form of digital ID by 2026.

The announcement stops short of compulsory national ID cards, as pushed for by former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair and former Tory leader Lord William Hague.

The pair have previously joined forces to call for a new ID incorporating details such as a passport, driving licence, tax records, qualifications and right-to-work status, which could be stored on a mobile phone.

Sir Tony tried to introduce such a scheme when he was in power but it was scrapped by the coalition government.

He argued it could save the Treasury £2bn a year in the long run and help control migration, but the idea was swiftly ruled out by Labour after it won the general election in July.

Opponents of ID cards have raised concerns about privacy and what they see as unnecessary data collection by the state.

Storm Eowyn has been named by the Met Office ahead of strong winds across the UK on Friday and into Saturday.

The winds, caused by low pressure, will lead to disruption such as damage to buildings, power cuts and flying debris which could threaten lives.

It will also cause disruption to travel, with road, rail, airports and ferries likely to be affected.

The storm is expected to sweep close to or over the northwest, bringing “very strong” south-easterly and south-westerly winds.

The Met said gusts could reach 60mph inland and 80mph in coastal areas but should lose some of their force on Saturday.

People should beware of potential large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties by the strong gusts.

The Met Office has also issued yellow weather warnings for “very strong winds” across the UK for 24 hours on Friday.

The areas set to be affected by the storm on Friday include East Midlands and West Midlands, London and southeast England, northwest England, southwest England, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber.

Parts of Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland, southwest Scotland, Lothian Borders and Strathclyde, will also be affected.

For Saturday, a yellow wind warning is in place for parts of northern England and Scotland.

Eowyn is the fifth named storm to hit the UK since the end of October.

To minimise travel disruption, the Met recommends being prepared by checking road conditions and timetables beforehand if planning on driving or using other means of transport.

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When it comes to the risk of power cuts, people should consider gathering essential items such as torches and batteries and a mobile phone power pack.

Those living in coastal areas should exercise caution as “even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea”, the forecaster added.

Prince Harry and the publisher of The Sun’s trial is “very close” in negotiations on a potential settlement, the High Court has heard.

The Duke of Sussex and former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information-gathering.

The Rupert Murdoch-owned NGN, which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, denies any unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

The trial had been due to start at the High Court in London at 10.30am today but was delayed twice, before barristers for both sides requested an adjournment until 10am on Wednesday.

The request was refused by Mr Justice Fancourt – who said the two sides had already had “ample time to seek to resolve their differences”.

They could now go to the Court of Appeal in a bid to challenge the judge’s decision.

Requesting the third adjournment, NGN’s barrister Anthony Hudson said both parties “have been involved in very intense negotiations over the last few days and the reality is we are very close”.

He said: “Very unusually, both parties are in complete agreement that this is a very important step.

“The number of times the parties have been in agreement in this litigation are very few and far between.

“Both parties feel they have no choice but to persist in this.”

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Mr Hudson added there had been difficulties today due to “time difference issues” in reference to Harry, who lives in California.

David Sherborne, for the duke and Lord Watson, said: “Mr Hudson and I would not be asking for further time if we did not think it stood any prospect of potentially saving a lot of court time.”

Dismissing their request, the judge said: “I am not satisfied on the basis of what I have been shown so far that the trial should not proceed at this time and will therefore not allow the further adjournment.”

He added: “I’m not going to stand in the way of access to justice if the parties wish to go to the Court of Appeal.”

The trial is due to last 10 weeks and is scheduled to consider specific claims brought by Harry and Lord Watson, as well as “generic” allegations of wrongdoing – all of which NGN has vehemently denied.

Harry first brought his lawsuit in 2019. He has said he hopes to get the truth, after other claimants – including celebrities and politicians – settled to avoid risking multimillion-pound legal bills, which they could have been forced to pay even if they won in court.

In English law, if a claimant turns down an offer to settle outside of court, then even if they win, they are liable for the legal costs of both sides if the damages awarded are smaller than the settlement offer.