HM Treasury has appointed James Heath as the new CEO of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).

Mr Heath is currently Director of Digital Infrastructure at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). In this role he has led DCMS through the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review and Telecoms Supply Chain Review, and had overall responsibility for broadband, mobile and telecoms security policy, and the Government’s 5G Trials & Testbed Programme.

Before joining DCMS in 2017, he was Director of Policy at the BBC.

Mr Heath will take up the role in May 2020.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman said:

The Commission plays a key role in supporting the development of effective long term public infrastructure. I have no doubt James will be an excellent CEO, and I look forward to working closely with him.

The NIC was established in 2015 to provide the government with impartial, expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges.

In July 2018 the NIC published the first ever National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA), setting out a plan of action for the country’s infrastructure over the next 10 to 30 years.