Key facts
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
- Responsibilities for digital transformation and procurement have been split across multiple government departments.
- A new AI minister role has been created and will attend Cabinet.
- The Government Digital Service (GDS) has moved to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
- Tech experts and MPs have expressed concern over the fragmentation of tech policy.
- The move risks creating an incoherent approach to tech management and procurement.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to dismantle the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has drawn criticism from various quarters, including MPs, Whitehall officials, and technology experts. The move, part of a broader government shake-up, has led to the division of DSIT's responsibilities among the Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
A new role for an AI minister, Kanishka Narayan, has been created and will attend Cabinet meetings, signaling a focus on artificial intelligence. However, concerns remain that this restructuring leaves broader technology policy and digital transformation efforts scattered across different departments, potentially leading to incoherence. The Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence, previously housed within DSIT, have now been relocated to DCMS, marking their third move in just over two years.
Critics argue that this reorganization risks undermining the UK's competitive advantage in science and technology at a critical juncture. The lack of a dedicated, Cabinet-level minister for technology is seen as a significant misstep, with some suggesting that digital and data public infrastructure initiatives may struggle to gain traction. The government's stated goals of modernizing public sector systems and fostering opportunities for UK tech companies through the Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence are now under scrutiny amid these structural changes.