Department for Science, Information and Technology: Abolition

Lord Ranger of Northwood Excerpts

Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right. The new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade will focus on new and emerging sectors as part of our reindustrialisation agenda. This is about building on the foundations that we have already made so that we can move further and faster to deliver for the people of the United Kingdom, which is our responsibility.

[Lord Ranger of Northwood (Con)]

My Lords, there is much scratching of heads about the detachment of science and technology. We hear about an AI Minister who will now be in a new office at the Cabinet Office and, some are also saying, at DCMS reporting into it, but we were talking about movement in technology: quantum computing, cyber security and what is happening in terms of investment in all forms of technology. The challenge now is: where will technology sit as a focus for this Government?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a genuinely valid point, but this is about how we mainstream everything and put this at the heart. Everything we are talking about is AI-enhanced reindustrialisation. I appreciate that there are many times when we use “AI” as shorthand for tech or science, just because of how quickly the technology is moving on. I reassure the noble Lord that we will continue to make sure that AI and science and technology are at the heart of the eight industrial priority sectors.