Lord Carter signals he is set to step down

Communications minister Lord Carter is now set for a return to the commercial sector once he has delivered the Digital Britain report next week.

Lord Carter

Lord Carter, one time chief executive of Ofcom and managing director of JWT, is reported as having indicated he would like to step down in July. He was appointed chief strategy officer by Prime Minster Gordon Brown in October 2008 but left that role after 10 months.

The Digital Britain report is expected to be published on Tuesday (16) and to contain proposals to facilitate internet access for all and to tackle illegal downloads.

An interim report was published in January and came under fire for not giving enough focus to consumer issues, such as privacy.

Speculation suggests Lord Carter could be a candidate for the position of chief executive at ITV. However, his position within Government and access to sensitive business details of rival broadcasters could mean any appointment to ITV would need approval by the Advisory Committee on Business appointments.