Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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Websitegov.uk/dsit

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The new department is responsible for helping to encourage, develop and manage the UK's scientific, research, and technological outputs. DSIT is also responsible for managing the necessary physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support the British economy, UK public services, national security, and wider UK Government priorities.[2]

The department is led by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, supported by a number of junior ministers, and senior civil servants. The incumbent Secretary of State is Michelle Donelan; she is the first to hold the role, having previously been the final Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

History

The department was established on 7 February 2023 after a

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The new department's first Secretary of State, Michelle Donelan, was the final Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Additionally, the new department became responsible for a number of agencies and offices drawn from across the rest of the UK Government. These included the Government Office for Science (formerly under BEIS), the Office for Science and Technology Strategy (formerly of the Cabinet Office), the Office for Life Sciences (jointly with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), formerly a BEIS-DHSC joint unit) and the Office for Artificial Intelligence (formerly of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport).[3]

Responsibilities

The following responsibilities of DSIT were outlined by Rishi Sunak upon the department's establishment in 2023.

Research and innovation

DSIT is responsible for positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement. It is intended for the department to drive innovation that changes lives and sustains economic growth. It will do this by maintaining and developing the physical and digital infrastructure and regulation necessary to support the UK economy and public services, and UK national security.[2]

Another stated responsibility of the department is to put British public services, including the

STEM subjects to improve outcomes for people.[2]

DSIT is further responsible for managing the UK Government's Research and Development schemes, aiming to optimise public investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private investment in an effort to make the UK economy the "most innovative" in the world. Moreover, DSIT is charged with promoting a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure. This is with the professed intention of making the UK the "best place" to start and grow a technology business or to develop and attract "top talent". DSIT also functions as a means of strengthening international collaboration on science and technology in line with the findings of the 2021 Integrated Review, and to ensure that British researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.[2]

Legislation and regulation

On a legislative and regulatory level, DSIT is responsible for delivering key legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation. This includes completing the passage of a new Online Safety Bill, a new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and a new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill. DSIT is also responsible for leading the UK Government's pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.[2]

Ministers

The Department's ministerial team is as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:[4]

Minister Portrait Office Portfolio
The Rt Hon. Michelle Donelan MP Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Responsibilities include:

Online Safety Bill; oversight of science and technology; economic and national security; skills and talent; landscape review; research bureaucracy; regulation; overall R&D budget; Horizon Europe; Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA); UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) relationship; OneWeb shareholding; British Technology Investments Ltd

Julia Lopez MP Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure Telecoms and digital infrastructure; sponsoring BDUK'; National Data Strategy; Information Commissioner's Office (ICO); Ofcom.
Andrew Griffith MP Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation

Domestic science and research ecosystem, including university research and public sector research establishments (PSREs); Innovation Strategy; international science and research; Horizon Europe; space sector; life sciences; quantum; engineering biology; place and levelling up; regulation of innovation, including the Regulatory Horizon Council; R&D People and Culture Strategy; Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA); Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT; UK Research and Innovation (UKRI; UK Space Agency (UKSA)

The Rt Hon. Viscount Camrose Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Intellectual Property

Supporting the delivery of HMG's AI programme in the Lords; Cyber; Intellectual property; Geospatial commission; Ordinance Survey; All DSIT business in the lords;

Saqib Bhatti MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy

Online safety policy, including the National Security Online Information Team; digital regulation, including the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and Digital Markets Unit; digital skills policy; digital inclusion policy; tech policy and market facing tech; international tech strategy, including the internet governance and standards; economic security policy (relevant to tech), including semiconductor strategy; digital identity policy; supporting the delivery of HMG's AI programme in the House of Commons, including the AI Safety Institute

During her maternity leave, Donelan was temporarily replaced as Secretary of State by Chloe Smith.[5]

The department's ministers are supported by the department's civil servants under the leadership of a

Permanent Secretary. The incumbent Permanent Secretary is Sarah Munby; previously the final Permanent Secretary at the now defunct Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.[6]

The Government Chief Scientific Adviser is also attached to the department, and holds the rank of Permanent Secretary. The incumbent Chief Scientific Adviser is Dame Angela McLean.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Science, innovation and technology takes top seat at Cabinet table – GOV.UK". gov.uk. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Making Government Deliver for the British People: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow (PDF). UK Government. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  3. ^ Crerar, Pippa; Elgot, Jessica (7 February 2023). "Rishi Sunak appoints Greg Hands as Conservative party chair in cabinet mini-reshuffle". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: February 2023". GOV.UK. HM Government. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: April 2023". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  6. ^ Rutter, Jill (8 February 2023). "Will Sunak's reorganisation of government work and will it last?". UK In A Changing Europe. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  7. ^ "New Government Chief Scientific Adviser Appointed". GOV.UK. HM Government. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.

External links