Treasury minister
Stephen
Timms is to replace Lord Carter as communications minister. He
will be tasked with pushing through
the Digital Britain report's recommendations.
Stephen Timms is the former e-commerce minister and has
previously worked for
Logica and analyst firm Ovum.
In his new job he will work across the Treasury and the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
He will be in charge of implementing plans for a £6-a-year levy
on all phone lines to pay for faster broadband networks. Under
Carter's proposals,
all homes in the UK will have access to broadband by 2012. He
will also bring a Digital Economy bill before parliament in the
autumn.
The Guardian reports that Timms is being brought in to try and
regain some of the momentum drummed up by Carter's Digital Britain.
The drive behind the report's recommendations is said to have
wilted since
Lord Carter announced he would be stepping down shortly before
it was published.