Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department and its predecessor Department have taken to reduce the costs of error in the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was established on 7th February 2023. Prior to this date the portfolio for DSIT sat within the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The published BEIS Annual Report & Accounts provide a summary of counter fraud activity and respective costs related to fraud. The Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report 2022 highlights the latest available data relating to fraud and error across government.
The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
Due to the Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have not yet produced fraud and error estimates, but this will be published in the 23/24 annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department and its predecessor Department have taken to reduce the costs of fraud in the Department in the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was established on 7th February 2023. Prior to this date the portfolio for DSIT sat within the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The published BEIS Annual Report & Accounts provide a summary of counter fraud activity and respective costs related to fraud. The Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report 2022 highlights the latest available data relating to fraud and error across government.
Presently, as for all Government Departments, DSIT counter fraud activity is governed by Government Functional Standards for Counter Fraud, covering both proactive and reactive counter fraud activity, and set out by the Government Counter Fraud Function (GCFF). Adherence to standards is monitored and reviewed by the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA).
In 2022/23 the PSFA set a target of delivering £180 million of savings to the taxpayer. In fact, the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million. As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer.
The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector.
The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on how many occasions Ministers from her Department and its predecessor Department have visited (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Across the UK Government we are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for all citizens, no matter where in the country they call home. All citizens contribute to the strength of the United Kingdom which is the most successful political and economic union the world has ever seen.
We do not hold information centrally on all Ministerial visits to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland conducted since the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was established in February 2023. However, we are able to provide some detail of recent Ministerial visits.
This week, the Minister for Science visited Edinburgh for Arctic Science Summit Week.
In December 2023, Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy visited the compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales.
In May 2023, Chloe Smith MP also visited the compound semiconductor cluster in May 2023 during her time as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Earlier this month, the Minister for AI and Intellectual Property visited Belfast for CyberNI Week. The Minister also visited Belfast for CyberNI week in April 2023, along with a visit to the Intellectual Property Office HQ Newport, Wales in November 2023.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the total cost to the public purse was for legal (a) support and (b) representation for Ministers in her Department and its predecessor department in relation to their official conduct in the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols.1901-1904.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, to which domestic destinations Ministers in his Department have attended overnight visits in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (vias, accommodation, meals).
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the amount of money lost to fraud and error by her Department and predecessor Departments in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
Due to the Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have not yet produced fraud and error estimates, but this will be published in the 23/24 annual report and accounts.
The latest Government figures for former BEIS can be found in the BEIS Annual Report and Accounts (2022/2023).
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many domestic overnight visits Ministers within (a) her Department and (b) the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were taken in each of the last three financial years; and what the cost to the public purse was of these visits over the same time period.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (vias, accommodation, meals).
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance her Department issues on the use of WhatsApp.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All departments in central government, including arms lengths bodies, apply the published guidance: Using non-corporate communication channels (e.g. WhatsApp, private email, SMS) for government business published by Cabinet Office in March 2023.
It applies to all individuals in central government (ministers, special advisers, officials, contractors, non-executive board members and independent experts advising ministers). Department for Science, Innovation and Technology uses the central guidance and has applied it since March 2023.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what reports and guidance their Department and its predecessor Departments produced in the last three financial years; and how much was spent on their (a) printing and (b) distribution.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. Reports and guidance that the Department has published can be found on gov.uk
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department and the predecessor Department (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on advertising in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Machinery of Government change in February 2023 created three new departments: the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Department Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the Department of Business and Trade (DBT).
The financial records for these organisations were split effective on 1 August 2023. We can only provide information for DSIT from then as any prior data will be combined with fBEIS.
Following the Machinery of Government change, funding was not specifically allocated to Advertising. Analysis of transactions shows that £ 283,068.85 has been spent to date in DSIT.