The announcement of the new department has been met with guarded approval by some stakeholders. British technology trade association techUK said in a statement sent to"Bringing science, technology and innovation under one roof will provide a clearer voice within Government on the benefits that digital technology and innovation can bring to our economy and public services. We look forward to continuing our engagement with Government under this new department," it said.
Joe Jones, director of Research & Insights for the International Association of Privacy Professionals , said he believed it would speed UK government efforts to replace the GDPR legislation, which may be a good or bad outcome"Moving responsibility for data policy into a more prominent and 'dedicated' department on science, tech, and innovation could pave the way for advances to the UK Government's work to reform the GDPR, to secure new international 'data bridges,'...
It will"direct record levels of research and development" and deliver talent programs, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support the economy, security, public services and wider government priorities, it is claimed. Whether any UK government department can live up to such claims remains to be seen. ®