Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, following the redistribution of the responsibilities of the Department for Science and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the effective oversight of science and technology investment for projects that involve the interest of several different Government Departments.

The government remains committed to ensuring effective oversight of science and technology investment across departments.

Individual departments remain responsible for their own science and technology budgets. Following the transfer of science and innovation responsibilities to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, the government continues to ensure effective cross-government oversight through existing cross-departmental governance arrangements for science and technology, bringing departments together to align investments, share evidence and identify opportunities for collaboration on shared priorities.

The Department will continue to work with Ministers, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, the CSA network, HMT and senior R&D officials across Government to maintain a strategic view of science and technology investment across Government, and help ensure that science and technology investment delivers maximum benefit for the UK.