Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Cabinet Office statistics on Permanent and temporary civil servants by sex, age band and department: 2023, published on 31 October 2023, how many permanent civil servants excluding agencies worked for her Department on 31 March (a) 2011, (b) 2016 and (c) 2020.

On 2 October 2023, The Chancellor announced an immediate cap on civil servant headcount across Whitehall to stop any further expansion, increase efficiencies and boost productivity.

The Civil Service grew in size to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the illegal war in Ukraine but it is right that we reduce the size of the Civil Service over time as we drive up productivity and deliver efficiencies.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was formed in 2023, thus data for previous years is unavailable.

Links to the predecessor departments can be found below:

(a March 2020, table 8

(b) March 2016, table 8

(c) March 2011, table 8