Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in (1) the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and (2) UK Research and Innovation are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; how many hours are allocated in total; which networks are being funded; and whether they have any plans alter such funding.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has 19 colleague-run networks, 11 of which are diversity-related. Time taken on network activities is agreed between individuals and line managers- no formal facility time is allocated. No network holds a delegated budget, and there are currently no plans to revise this approach.

UKRI has 12 network co-chairs across 8 formally supported staff networks. Co-chairs are allocated 1 day per month to carry out network related activities which includes work on organisation-led EDI priorities and reporting on network activities to governance. All 8 networks receive funding for their activities (in financial year 2023/24 this was less than £5,000). There are no plans to alter these funding arrangements.