Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Not to be confused with the preceding Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2017–2023), the defunct Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (2007–2009), or the historic Ministry of Technology (1964–1970).

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Logo
100 Parliament Street, Westminster
Department overview
Formed	7 February 2023 (2023-02-07)
Preceding agencies	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Type	UK Government Department
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Secretary of State responsible	The Rt Hon. Michelle Donelan MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department executives	Sarah Munby, Permanent Secretary Dame Angela McLean, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Freya Guinness, Chief Operating Officer Jo Shanmugalingam & Susannah Storey, Directors General
Child agencies	Advanced Research and Invention Agency UK Space Agency Intellectual Property Office Building Digital UK Met Office UK Research and Innovation Ordnance Survey Council for Science and Technology Government Office for Science Regulatory Horizons Council National Physical Laboratory Copyright Tribunal Information Commissioner's Office
Website	gov.uk/dsit

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) ^[1] is a department of the government of the United Kingdom. Established by Rishi Sunak in February 2023, DSIT took on policy responsibilities from the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the 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 cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. It absorbed some of the functions and responsibilities of the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the 'Digital' portfolio from the former 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 NHS and schools at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working (with an express focus on 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

• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2017–2023) – from which DSIT absorbed the digital portfolio.
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2016–2023) – defunct department from which DSIT inherited various responsibilities
• Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (2007–2009) – a defunct UK government department with a similar overall purpose.
• Ministry of Technology (1964–1970) – an historic UK government department with similar responsibilities.
• UK Research and Innovation
• Advanced Research and Invention Agency

References

1. "Science, innovation and technology takes top seat at Cabinet table – GOV.UK". gov.uk. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
2. 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

• Official webpage on GOV.UK.
• Making Government Deliver: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow policy paper forwarded by Rishi Sunak explaining the rationale for the department.