Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many civil servants in her Department have a criminal conviction.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not hold central records of criminal convictions. When joining the department all candidates undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check which checks for unspent criminal convictions. Where a candidate does have unspent criminal convictions, these are shared with the individual vacancy holder for them to consider as this is likely to have impact on individuals’ suitability for the role.

The Department engages with the cross-government Going Forward into Employment (GFIE) schemes, including for prison leavers. The number of civil servants in the department on this scheme is less than 10. Given this number is relatively low the exact number is not provided in order to protect the identity of those individuals.