Science and tech department announces ministerial portfolios

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has revealed the portfolios for its ministerial team for the first time. 

Four ministers work for the department, alongside Secretary of State Michelle Donelan, with most previously coming from either the former Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (now just Culture, Media and Sport), and the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (now Energy Security and Net Zero). 

The announcement sees George Freeman MP appointed Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Julia Lopez MP appointed Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Paul Scully MP appointed Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, and the Viscount Camrose appointed Minister for AI and Intellectual Property. 

Ms Lopez and Mr Scully both previously worked alongside Ms Donelan in her previous department where they both acted in a similar role to their positions now. 

Meanwhile Mr Freeman brings his portfolio over from the Department for Business and Viscount Camrose takes his first ministerial role, becoming the second hereditary peer to serve in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government. 

On his appointment as minister, Mr Freeman described the creation of the department as ‘incredibly exciting’, he said: ‘It signifies we are determined to make Britain more of a strategic global science, research, technology and innovation powerhouse.’ 

Created by the PM during a cabinet reshuffle earlier this year, the DSIT recently outlined a framework to position the UK as a global leader in Science and Technology by 2030, with a focus on emerging tech such as AI, quantum computing and engineering biology. 

The framework was backed by around £500m of new and existing funding towards projects such as investing into tech and science start-ups and the establishment of a quantum computing research centre in Daresbury. 

Announcements of the ministerial portfolios comes just after the Foreign Secretary outlined a new ‘Integrated Review Refresh’ which saw tech placed at the heart of the UK’s foreign strategy.

Photo by Yaopey Yong