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Written question asked by Chi Onwurah (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 December 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 December 2010. It was answered by Lord Willetts (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 December 2010 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Science: Females

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion of his Department's science budget was spent on measures to increase diversity and equality in the workforce in the science, engineering and technology sectors in each of the last three years; and how much and what proportion of that budget he plans to allocate to such measures in each year of the Spending Review period.
Answer

The Research Councils, which administer the majority of this Department's science budget, pursue measures to increase diversity and equality in the science, engineering and technology sectors as part of their duties under the Equalities Act. Programme spend in this area over the last three years is outlined below.

£
2007/08 2008/09 2009/10
Postgraduate Disabled Student 664,995 691,213 563,291
Allowances
Daphne Jackson Trust 309,447 373,234 457,096
Other RCUK-Led Activities 40,000 25,000 170,000

In addition, many of the initiatives funded from the Science and Society budget have diversity objectives. Funding for these initiatives over the last three years is outlined in the following table.

£
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Big Bang Fair 150,000 350,000 350,000
National Science and Engineering Competition 150,000 260,000 260,000
National Science and Engineering Week 472,000 472,500 536,500
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) 5,850,000 6,303,000 6,788,000
UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology 2,538,000 2,443,000 2,469,000
Women in Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) 40,000 40,000 40,000

Decisions on the detailed breakdown of the Science and Society allocation, and the Research Councils' spend on diversity and equality, for the next four years, are yet to be taken. Funding for the UK Resource Centre will not be renewed after March 2011.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
30134; 520 c1260-2W
Session
2010-12
Subjects
Equality Science
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk