Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether any internship schemes managed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are restricted to applicants on the basis of (i) ethnicity, (ii) social class and (iii) both.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology does not operate its own internship schemes. The former Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has hosted the Cabinet Office-run Summer Internship Programme for which the Cabinet Office sets the eligibility criteria, manages recruitment and determines placements. The Summer Internship Programme is restricted to applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The scheme is not restricted on the basis of ethnicity. Former DBT’s Arm’s Length Bodies do not operate any internship schemes which are restricted to applicants on the basis of ethnicity, social class, or both. As above, they may host interns from the Cabinet Office-run Summer Internship Programme.

Former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology also does not operate its own internship schemes. The only internship programmes hosted by the Department are the Cabinet Office-run Summer Internship Programme and Care Leavers Internship Programme. The Cabinet Office sets the eligibility criteria, manages recruitment and determines placements. The Summer Internship Programme is restricted to applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The Care Leavers Internship Programme is restricted to eligible care leavers. Neither scheme is restricted on the basis of ethnicity.