Government publishes Digital Britain implementation plan

Digital Britain is progressing

The government has release its Digital Britain Implementation Plan, the next step on the road to delivering on the strategy for the UK’s digital future.

The plan has been put in place to establish the responsibilities and governance structure for completing the key actions laid out in the final Digital Britain report released in June.

Although the document gives no new timescales for delivery, it says the government intends to report on progress in the autumn.

A Digital Economy Bill has been included in the legislative schedule for the next session of Parliament, to put in place the legal and regulatory aspects of the plan, such as the 50p per month “broadband tax” on fixed phone lines to generate funds for next-generation network rollout.

A Digital Britain Programme Board has been established, jointly chaired by ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

All workstreams within the implementation plan will report to the Board, which will meet bi-monthly. Board members include Cabinet Office director of digital engagement Andrew Stott, government chief information officer John Suffolk, and newly appointed digital inclusion champion Martha Lane Fox.

Day-to-day responsibility for the Digital Britain programme rests with civil servants David Hendon, director, business relations at BIS and Jon Zeff, media director at DCMS, who act jointly as senior responsible owners for the project.

Treasury minister Stephen Timms was last week confirmed as the minister leading the Digital Britain strategy.