Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help retain UK-trained STEM graduates in the domestic workforce; and what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of international recruitment offers on talent retention in the UK.

DSIT is strengthening retention of UK‑trained STEM graduates through investment in talent and skills, including support for postgraduate researchers via the New Deal for Postgraduate Researchers. DSIT funds studentships and globally prestigious fellowships through UKRI and the National Academies. Analysis of all respondents who completed recent UK R&I Workforce Surveys found a statistically significant drop in the proportion of respondents considering leaving the UK, from 26% in 2022 to 22% in 2024 overall.