All change in government departments for the tech sector

Looking at the most important developments for the tech sector in this reshuffle, the two that stand out are the appointment of a Minister of State for AI, Kanishka Narayan, who will also attend cabinet, and that DSIT will be abolished. Its functions will be redistributed across government, with the science and innovation portfolio moving into the newly renamed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST). This department will also look after the Investment Security Unit (ISU), which is responsible for administering the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act.

Kanishka Narayan as Minister of State responsible for AI will straddle the Cabinet Office and DBIST.  

DBIST itself will be led by Jonathan Reynolds, the former Business Secretary who returns to lead an expanded version of the business department.

DSIT backgrounder

DSIT was set up by Conservative PM Rishi Sunak in 2023, and its remit was to drive economic growth and position the UK as a science and technology superpower. 

When Labour returned to power in 2024, one of its first decisions was to move key digital functions, including the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the then Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The transfer also included the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI). 

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In a written statement to Parliament, Lord Privy Seal, Baroness Smith of Basildon said: 'The functions of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will be redistributed to align with our core economic and social agenda, embedded as vital engines of growth exactly where they can have the most direct impact.

'This move recognises that technology and innovation are not separate sectors of our economy — they are the foundation of all future industry, culture, and public service delivery.'

Return of DCMS 

Meanwhile, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been rebranded and sees a return to its previous title of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) — the name it was known by between July 2017 and February 2023.  

DCMS' responsibilities will include the following: digital identity, digital foundations, digital transformation, digital inclusion and skills, information resilience, and online harms. Others are expected to be officially announced soon.

New AI Taskforce  

There will also be another newly created body — the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (OPMC). This will be led by Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo.  

Within the OPMC, there will be a new AI Taskforce. Baroness Smith said: 'Supported by a Prime Ministerial adviser on AI, this central team will drive the Government’s overall strategy on AI to unlock the opportunities it holds for growth, prosperity and public sector transformation.'

BCS analysis   

This week sees the launch of the AI Assurance Stakeholder Consortium, which is a government-backed initiative led by BCS to establish artificial intelligence auditing as a recognised profession. It aims to build public trust and safety in AI systems across the economy. We are awaiting official confirmation of where it will sit.  

Reflecting on the changes, BCS Fellow Bill Mitchell OBE said: 'A cabinet‑level AI minister is an overdue recognition of the cross‑government importance of artificial intelligence. Cabinet status signals that AI is central to economic competitiveness, national security, and public services.  

'DSIT was meant to be the 'Department of the Future'; let's make sure the 'future' (as in innovation and scientific advancement) is still a central pillar for future growth, dealing with the cost-of-living  crisis and sorting out climate change.  

'Redistributing departmental responsibilities can work so long as we make sure we have: 

• A government-wide laser-like focus on professionalising artificial intelligence and AI assurance, which is vital for the UK to build public trust that AI is being deployed responsibly for the benefit of society
• Alignment of science and digital technology with growth
• Improved collaboration between UKRI, industry, investors and government
• Support for commercialisation of innovative digital technologies that is equally devolved across the whole nation, not just the Golden Triangle
• Support for commercialisation of science that is equally devolved across the whole nation, not just the Golden Triangle 
• A more effective alignment of foundational research with industrial strategy 

'What needs to be avoided is: 

• Science becoming a junior partner.  
• Risk of disruption to AI governance.'

Goodbye to Sir Patrick Vallance

In another move that might be overlooked amid the cabinet reshuffle and changes to the machinery of government is the departure of Sir Patrick Vallance. He has resigned for personal reasons, after almost a decade in government, initially as Chief Scientific Adviser, then as Science Minister.  

Bill said: 'Sir Patrick Vallance was an excellent mover and shaker; he does science, he does technology, someone of his experience is absolutely essential within the new structure.'