Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release of 3 December 2021 entitled Building Digital UK to become executive agency of DCMS, what assessment she has made of how that reform will improve the delivery of investment in broadband infrastructure.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) has historically delivered spending commitments as a directorate within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

However, the government’s agenda for broadband infrastructure has scaled up dramatically, to include the ambitious £5bn Project Gigabit investment. Establishing BDUK as an Executive Agency will drive further effective delivery through:

1. Governance and accountability: As an Executive Agency, the BDUK Board will be formalised and chaired by a Non Executive and comprise a Non Executive majority. This will ensure BDUK receives expert independent challenge and advice. Accountability will remain within the central department; DCMS will robustly challenge and hold BDUK to account.

2. Operational autonomy: BDUK will have pre-defined operational autonomy to focus on the capabilities and processes essential to the delivery of its commitments, whilst DCMS will provide an appropriate level of oversight and second line assurance.

Furthermore, this transition will enable BDUK to expand its operations to create new jobs, boost economic growth and level up communities that are most in need.

The intention is for BDUK to be established as an Executive Agency in April 2022, at the start of the new financial year, ahead of a significant ramp up in programme delivery planned in 2022/23. Following the launch of the Executive Agency in April 2022, BDUK and DCMS will follow a ‘glide path’ or transitioning period through the first half of 2022/23 to embed ‘end state’ ways of working.