Key facts
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government has admitted to confusion regarding technology policy following a Whitehall restructuring.
- The former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been abolished.
- Responsibility for science, AI, and digital government has been dispersed across multiple departments.
- Baroness Lloyd of Effra will oversee the UK's space sector, alongside cyber, regulatory reform, corporate governance, and Insolvency Service duties, working across BIST and DCMS.
- The Government Digital Service has moved to DCMS, its third home in two years.
- Kanishka Narayan has been appointed as the new AI minister, attending Cabinet and working with the Cabinet Office and BIST.
The UK government is facing criticism for a lack of clarity and coherence in its technology policy following Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to dismantle the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The move has scattered responsibilities for science, AI, and digital government across various departments, leading to concerns about policy direction and effective implementation.
Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, had previously written to the government seeking an explanation for the changes. A recent joint letter from ministers leading three departments, including the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has reportedly offered little clarity, instead highlighting the government's perceived confused approach.
Specific responsibilities, such as oversight of the UK's space sector, have been assigned to Baroness Lloyd of Effra, who will manage these duties alongside her existing portfolios in cyber, regulatory reform, corporate governance, and the Insolvency Service. This includes overseeing £7.8 billion in cross-government spending related to the space strategy.
The Government Digital Service, previously housed in DSIT, has now moved to DCMS, marking its third relocation in just over two years. This service, along with the Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence, is intended to modernize public sector systems and support smaller UK startups in securing public contracts. However, the fragmentation of digital transformation and procurement responsibilities, coupled with the creation of a new AI minister role filled by Kanishka Narayan, risks creating an incoherent approach to government technology management.