Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, what discussions officials of her Department has had with representatives of business organisations on funding for IT training to help meet the demand for skills in cyber security.

Government published the Initial Cyber Security Skills strategy in December 2018. The strategy sets out a range of proposals for addressing the cyber security skills capability gap in the immediate term and developing the building blocks of a pipeline for future talent. The strategy was accompanied by the publication of UK Labour Market Research to better understand the needs of businesses. In producing the strategy, officials engaged extensively with industry, employers, students, and education providers through a range of events, workshops and meetings across the UK. This engagement is ongoing, helping Government effectively work towards its mission of ensuring businesses have access to the cyber security skills they need to secure themselves in a digital economy.