Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps they have taken in their Department to operate the Disability Confident employer scheme for those seeking a lateral transfer; and how many and what proportion of candidates who declared themselves as having a disability and who applied under that scheme where (a) interviewed and (b) laterally transferred in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created following Machinery of Government changes announced on 7^th February 2023 so we are not able to provide the requested data for 2021 and 2022.

It is standard practice within the Civil Service to operate the Disability Confident Scheme for candidates and the Department plans to continue this in future.