Credit: Chris McAndrew/CC BY SA 3.0

Oliver Dowden will assume ministerial responsibility for the Government Digital Service.

Dowden (pictured above), who serves as MP for Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, was last week appointed as a parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office as part of prime minister Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle. He has now been confirmed in the newly created role of minister for implementation and his duties – including oversight of GDS – have been clarified. 

His remit is similar to that of Caroline Nokes, who was last week moved from her Cabinet Office post as minister for government resilience and efficiency into a new role at the Home Office as immigration minister. 

Related content

• Nokes takes political responsibility for GDS
• UK among 32 signatory countries to Tallinn eGovernment Declaration
• Virtual mortgages and online divorces – the future of government digital services

Also under Dowden’s watch will be the Crown Commercial Service, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, and the Government Security group. His duties will also include ministerial responsibility for efficiency and controls, single departmental plans, cybersecurity and resilience, government property, public appointments, behaviour change, and civil service HR.

The Hertsmere MP, who was elected to parliament in 2015, will assume responsibility for shared services, an area in which the government recently unveiled ambitious 10-year plans to drive increased standardisation and automation across Whitehall departments.

“I am delighted to have been appointed as minister for implementation at the Cabinet Office,” said Dowden. “It’s an honour to be able to serve Hertsmere and the country by helping to ensure that the government delivers on the things that matter to people.”