Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Cyber Security - General 2021 Fund.

This grant supported the delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy objective to create the right ecosystem in the UK to develop and sustain a cyber security sector that can meet our national security demands. This included the creation of the UK Cyber Security Council. Following public consultation in 2018, the Institution of Engineering the Technology was awarded grant funding in 2019 to form the Council to coordinate the growing cyber security workforce. The organisation was launched in 2021, is now in full operation and is recognised by Royal Charter.