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<p><del class="ministerial">Through the Government’s National Cyber Security Programme,
my Department is delivering an ambitious set of initiatives to support the growth
of and investment in cyber security companies across the United Kingdom, including
those from Northern Ireland. In particular, we provide opportunities for early stage
companies from across the UK to be represented at selected events where they can showcase
their technologies and expertise in order to secure investment. We are also funding
the delivery of two cyber innovation centres which are open to companies from across
the UK.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">We are also funding the delivery of ‘Hut
Zero’, an accelerator programme for individuals with cyber security ideas , and ‘Cyber
101’ business training ‘bootcamps’ for early stage companies, some of which are being
delivered in Northern Ireland. I am particularly delighted that Queen’s University
Belfast’s Centre for Secure Information Technology is playing a pivotal role in the
delivery of both of those initiatives.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">DCMS
is committed to offering all applicants equality of opportunity to ensure that we
attract and retain candidates with the most talent and potential. To this end, the
DCMS recruitment process does not require applicants to declare unspent criminal convictions
at the initial recruitment stage. Applicants are asked to declare unspent criminal
convictions as part of basic employment checks when a provisional offer of employment
has been made. Decisions concerning appointment to a post where an individual has
a conviction history are made on a case-by-case basis.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><strong>
</strong></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The department does not retain details
centrally that would allow us to identify employees with unspent convictions so the
information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</ins></p><p>
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