Image: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr
Peter Kyle speaks of missed chances to detect his mother’s cancer in discussing digital agenda
The science department under Labour will be “bolder” in reflecting that technology is the “foundation for every one of our national missions” and will drive “the transformation of the state”, according to the science secretary.
Peter Kyle’s first speech to the House of Commons as secretary of state continued to set out the new government’s vision for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit) and how it will operate.
He also spoke from personal experience about the potential impact of digitalisation and AI on public services.
“My mum was scanned three times in 18 months because of chest pain, and each time the scan came back clear,” he told MPs on 2 September.
“Not one of the scans detected the disease—lung cancer—that without warning would take her away from her family.
“Today, it takes an artificial intelligence-powered scanner in Huddersfield hospital just seven seconds to detect the earliest signs of lung cancer. Seven seconds is all it takes to give somebody back decades with the people they love. I firmly believe that had my mother received that kind of care, she would still be alive today.”
Kyle went on to say: “When the previous government set up Dsit, they recognised the transformative power of technology.
“They were right to do so, but if we want to lay the foundations for a decade of national renewal, we must be much bolder. We need to rewire Whitehall because technology is much more than just another sector to support or a strategic advantage to secure; it is the foundation for every one of our national missions.”
Digital centre of government
After Labour won the general election in July, Dsit took on responsibility for digital transformation from the Cabinet Office.
Kyle said in the Commons: “From kickstarting economic growth and making Britain a clean-energy superpower, to breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS that is fit for the future, our task is fundamentally different [to the previous government’s], and our approach must be too.
“That is why we have made Dsit the digital centre for government. By bringing together digital, data and technology experts from across [the] government under one roof, my department will drive forward the transformation of the state.
“That transformation will not just save people time; it will save taxpayers’ money too. This government [is] under no illusions about the scale of the challenge that we face.”