As Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government embarks on a major shake-up, its decision to dismantle the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has sparked widespread concern among peers, industry figures, and experts. The move, announced on Tuesday, threatens to upend Britain's burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and broader digital government initiatives, leaving many wondering if this is a step back for British tech.
Just a year after its expansion to become Whitehall's central digital hub, DSIT's functions are being dismantled and redistributed. Science policy, along with key bodies like UK Research and Innovation and the Sovereign AI Fund, will now be integrated into Jonathan Reynolds' newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Meanwhile, the Government Digital Service (GDS) is returning to the renamed Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and the critical AI Safety Institute is being moved into the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, alongside a new AI taskforce.
This overhaul largely reverses reforms made in 2024 under then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which saw GDS, the Central Digital and Data Office, and the Incubator for AI transferred into DSIT. The initial aim was to consolidate science, digital government, and AI under one roof to accelerate tech adoption across Whitehall and provide the sector with a unified voice within government. Sources indicate the decision to dismantle DSIT originated within the Cabinet Office before receiving approval from Mr Burnham's team, though both No 10 and DSIT have declined to comment.
Responding to an urgent question in the House of Lords, Cabinet Office Minister Baroness Anderson defended the changes, stating that science and AI should not be treated as isolated issues but rather embedded across Whitehall to create a "more coherent, agile and effective government framework." Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds echoed this sentiment on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, insisting that science would remain "at the forefront" of the enlarged business department and that combining research with business and trade would enhance the commercialisation of British innovation.