Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether this Department uses the Global Disinformation Index service.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT does not use Global Disinformation Index service
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 88708 on Electronic Government, on what date was the current internal Data Protection Impact Assessment completed.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) was completed for GOV.UK One Login in 2023. This was reviewed and updated in 2025 and is planned for publication this year.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 98126, on DSIT: Public Appointments, whether any of the Direct Ministerial Appointments made a declaration of political activity when appointed.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All Direct Ministerial appointees must complete a declaration of interest form before their appointment can be finalised. If appointees declare any political activity, the detail is reviewed, assessed for risk and appropriate mitigations implemented where necessary.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88707, on Research: Finance, what estimate he has made of the (a) monetary and (b) regulatory cost of the inclusion of equality, diversity and inclusion targets in publicly funded research.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government does not hold an estimate of any monetary or regulatory cost because it does not set equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) targets in publicly funded research. EDI considerations form part of existing research funding assurance and governance processes, and no additional reporting burdens or dedicated compliance mechanisms have been introduced beyond those already in place. Rather than mandating specific EDI targets, the Government expects research organisations to foster fair and inclusive environments that support excellence, in line with established funding terms and conditions.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much his Department has spent in the last 12 months on X premium, and on which tier.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
No expenditure has been made by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on X premium.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 88695, on Government Departments: Mobile Phones, whether there is any guidance given to public bodies on creating new apps.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Service Manual sets out guidance for public servants on designing and delivering digital services, including making sure services work well with mobile technology, technology use more broadly, and understanding users before designing around their needs. The guidance makes clear that native mobile apps should only be considered when there are clear and evidenced needs that a responsive website cannot meet. It also states that if any users can not access the required features then a web based alternative should also be available.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2025, to Question 90732, on DSIT: Remote Working, whether the 40% office attendance policy for departmental staff is a target of (a) those staff being in their assigned office for 40% of the working week or (b) 40% of the desks in that office being occupied over the working week.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The 40% office attendance policy for departmental staff referred to in the answer I gave the Hon. Member on 28 November 2025 to Question 90732, is for staff being in their assigned office for 40% of the working week.
The Department’s office attendance (Hybrid Working) policy states that as the norm, employees are expected to spend, when calculated over a 4-week period, 40-60% of their working hours in the office. Time spent training at a different location, on visits to off-site or other work locations, where there is an official reason to attend that location, will count in the same way as time spent in a staff member’s normal office. The remaining time can either be spent working in the office, working from home in the UK, or a combination of the two.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 88704 on UK Space Agency, whether he plans to reduce the total headcount as a result of the merger of the UK Space Agency into the department.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The merger of UKSA into DSIT will deliver efficiencies for how the combined directorate will deliver on government priorities. Designing a more efficient organisation will reduce running costs and remove duplication ensuring even more of the funding allocated to civil space can reach the sector while also protecting staff in both organisations where possible. There are currently no planned redundancies.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 88696, if he will publish he business case for the rainbow pins.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025 we are not be publishing the business case for rainbow pins. To confirm the business case was reviewed in line with Government Guidance, declined, and no public money was spent.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 88700 on Civil Service: Equality, whether the civil servants attended the humanists convention using staff time or annual leave.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 the Civil Servant who attended the Humanist Convention did so in working time.