UK names Josh Simons DSIT Under-Secretary, 9 Jan 2026

If you teach politics or computing, here’s the update to share with your class: on Friday 9 January 2026, the King approved Josh Simons MP as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). He will also continue as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. (gov.uk)

Who is he? Simons is the Labour MP for Makerfield, elected in July 2024, and he has served as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office since 7 September 2025, currently covering maternity leave for a colleague. That Cabinet Office post involves supporting senior ministers on public service reform, counter‑fraud and major inquiries. (gov.uk)

What does a Parliamentary Under‑Secretary actually do? It’s a junior ministerial role. They take on a defined slice of a department’s work, answer questions in Parliament, meet stakeholders and help steer policy and legislation-reporting up to the Secretary of State. Ministers are formally appointed by the King on the Prime Minister’s advice, which is why these notices are phrased the way they are. (instituteforgovernment.org.uk)

So what is DSIT? In plain terms, it’s the UK department that tries to make science and technology work for people and the economy: funding research, setting direction on new tech, and building a more digital government. Its stated purpose includes making sure technologies are safely developed and deployed, and using digital tools to improve public services for citizens. (gov.uk)

Why this matters for AI policy: DSIT houses the UK’s AI Security Institute, the government team testing advanced AI models and studying risks. In February 2025 ministers rebadged it from the AI Safety Institute to underline a focus on security and criminal misuse alongside broader governance work. For students, that’s where government evidence on powerful AI systems is being built. (gov.uk)

DSIT is also home to the Government Digital Service (GDS), which sets digital strategy for Whitehall and runs platforms like GOV.UK and One Login. Meanwhile, overall policy leadership for the new digital identity scheme has been placed with the Cabinet Office-making Simons’ dual roles relevant to how policy and delivery connect. In the Commons on 8 December 2025, he described principles for a more inclusive digital ID approach as the responsible junior minister. (gov.uk)

What this means for classrooms and lecture halls: DSIT is developing practical guidance on trustworthy AI-like an assurance platform and toolkit for smaller organisations-so the rules and resources your students encounter in college projects or early careers will keep evolving. It’s worth encouraging learners to track how ‘assurance’ (testing, documentation and oversight) becomes part of everyday AI use. (gov.uk)

Next steps to watch: departments usually publish updated pages setting out each junior minister’s exact brief. In DSIT, those briefs sit under the Secretary of State-currently Liz Kendall MP-so expect a formal portfolio for Simons in due course. That will tell us whether he leads on areas such as online safety, digital regulation or parts of the AI programme. (gov.uk)

A quick media‑literacy note for your students: when official notices say “The King has been pleased to approve…”, it signals the constitutional process-appointment by the Monarch on the Prime Minister’s advice-rather than personal endorsement. Understanding that phrasing helps you read government announcements with the right expectations. (gov.uk)