National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority
| Public agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 April 2025 |
| Preceding Public agency | |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Employees | 240 |
| Minister responsible | |
| Public agency executives |
|
| Parent Public agency | HM Treasury & Cabinet Office |
| Website | www |
The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), established in April 2025, is a public agency advising the UK Government on infrastructure delivery and improvement. It combines the functions of the former National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
History
[edit]In May 2024, ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Labour Party announced plans to merge the National Infrastructure Commission with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority in order to speed up the delivery of major infrastructure projects in the UK. Plans were also announced to create a 10-year National Infrastructure Strategy. These recommendations were drawn from Labour's Major Capital Projects Review, led by Paul Addison, who at the time was working with the engineering company Arup.[1][2][3]
In October 2024, the Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves convened the inaugural meeting of the British Infrastructure Taskforce, with representatives of major financial companies in attendance, to build business confidence in UK infrastructure investments and start development of a ten-year infrastructure strategy, to be supported by NISTA.[4] In December 2024, HM Treasury started the process of recruiting NISTA's first chief executive,[5] a £200,000-a-year role leading a team of around 240 civil servants and advising on "the improvement of quality, cost, schedule, performance and project outcomes".[6]
In January 2025, it was confirmed that NISTA would be established in April 2025 and would be a joint unit of HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones as the responsible minister,[7] and Treasury permanent secretary James Bowler as principal accounting officer.[6]
NISTA was launched on 1 April 2025, with the commissioners of the abolished National Infrastructure Commission forming an advisory council,[8] and with Jean-Christophe Gray as interim chief executive; the Treasury said a permanent chief executive would be appointed "shortly". The Treasury and the Cabinet Office were reported to be working on a memorandum of understanding regarding the relationship between NISTA and the two departments.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Labour vows to break ‘inertia’ of UK infrastructure delivery, Financial Times. 23 May 2024.
- ^ Gayne, Daniel (24 May 2024). "Labour would merge National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority". Building. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ Rogers, Dave (24 January 2024). "HS2 fallout sees Labour and construction united by common aim". Building. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Government launches British Infrastructure Taskforce". Gov.uk. HM Treasury. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Dunton, Jim (17 December 2024). "Treasury offers £200k a year for new infrastructure body chief". Civil Service World. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ a b Smith, Beckie (21 January 2025). "NISTA: PM sets out machinery of government changes underpinning new infrastructure body". Civil Service World. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Gayne, Daniel (22 January 2025). "Reeves' number two to be lead minister for new infrastructure body". Building. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Government ushers in new era for UK infrastructure delivery". HM Treasury & NISTA. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "Government promises 'new era' for UK infrastructure delivery". www.theconstructionindex.co.uk. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
