UK Government Digital Service Shuffled to Third Department in Three Years
AI-generated image · US National Wire
Repeated reorganizations of the GDS raise concerns over talent retention and operational stability as the unit moves to the DCMS.
The UK government has moved the Government Digital Service (GDS) to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), marking the unit's third departmental home in three years, as first reported by The Register.
Established in 2011, the GDS originally resided in the Cabinet Office. It was later shifted to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in 2024 under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In January 2025, the GDS was merged with the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO). Following the appointment of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the unit now operates under Stephanie Peacock, the Parliamentary under-secretary for sport, tourism, place and digital Government.
Testifying before the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Laura Gilbert, former director of data science at 10 Downing Street, stated that the GDS was "significantly disempowered" during its previous move to DSIT. Gilbert noted a lack of communication with senior leadership during transitions and warned that such instability leads to dissatisfaction and the loss of top talent to other departments or the private sector.
Alex Thomas, Executive Director of the Institute for Government, told the committee that while the GDS had found a successful home at DSIT, moving it again is risky and creates a "grinding of gears" and a diffusion of responsibilities.
In a letter to the committee, ministers from the DCMS, DSIT, and the Cabinet Office defended the changes as part of a strategy to "rewire the state" and drive economic growth. Separately, the government has appointed Kanishka Narayan as Minister for Artificial Intelligence, a Cabinet-attending role operating jointly within DSIT and the Cabinet Office.