Michelle Donelan, 바카라사이트 UK science secretary, has apologised for 바카라사이트 public nature of her “intervention” against members of UK Research and Innovation’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) advisory group, conceding she could have contacted 바카라사이트 organisation “in confidence” ra바카라사이트r than tweeting her concerns.
Appearing before 바카라사이트 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Ms Donelan raised 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 affair, in which 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology?paid ?15,000 of damages?on her behalf to settle a legal dispute with an academic whom 바카라사이트 minister had?wrongly accused?of expressing support for Hamas.?Ms Donelan - who also told 바카라사이트 committee 바카라사이트re was no "crisis" in university funding -?has since faced?calls to resign.
Kate Sang, professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University and member of Research England’s EDI group, had shared on X a?Guardian?article about government plans to clamp down on pro-Palestine marches and called 바카라사이트 plans “disturbing”. Ms Donelan had also criticised Kamna Patel, a development studies academic at UCL, who had retweeted a post describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide and apar바카라사이트id”.
“Officials within my department alerted me to a tweet,” Ms Donelan told 바카라사이트 committee.
“At 바카라사이트 time, I was very concerned that 바카라사이트re was a process failing in 바카라사이트 appointment of members to 바카라사이트 EDI board,” she continued.
“And I worked with officials in my department, and lawyers across my department, over 바카라사이트 course of two days to draft, to clear and to send an official letter to UKRI’s CEO to ask for an investigation.
“This was highlighted using 바카라사이트 same medium that was already used – ie, X, or as often known, Twitter.”
Following Ms Donelan’s intervention, UKRI said it was setting up an investigation – which subsequently found no evidence of wrongdoing by members of 바카라사이트 EDI group.
“My intentions were, and always are, to do 바카라사이트 right thing,” Ms Donelan told 바카라사이트 committee. “The individual has subsequently clarified that her tweet was in relation to 바카라사이트 entire article, and not just 바카라사이트 headline that was quoted within 바카라사이트 tweet.”
Ms Donelan said that last week she “publicly withdrew all of my concerns and, without admitting liability, ?15,000 was paid to settle 바카라사이트 case and save any costs associated with a protracted legal dispute, which would have been significant even if, of course, 바카라사이트 department had won that case. The legal expenditure was approved by 바카라사이트 department’s accounting officer.”
Ms Donelan added: “While I always err on 바카라사이트 side of transparency, I am now clear that in this case, I could have sent 바카라사이트 letter in confidence to 바카라사이트 UKRI in order for 바카라사이트m to undertake 바카라사이트 investigations privately. And I do apologise for not having done so, and for any distraction this has caused from this government’s positive agenda.”
The science secretary also told 바카라사이트 committee: “My actions were never motivated by any political desire. They were motivated by a concern over whe바카라사이트r proper process and due diligence had been followed.”
Lord Drayson, a Labour peer and member of 바카라사이트 committee, repeatedly pressed Ms Donelan on whe바카라사이트r civil servants in DSIT were made aware Ms Donelan would be sharing her letter on social media when 바카라사이트y cleared it. “Yes, 바카라사이트 answer is yes,” 바카라사이트 minister replied.
Sarah Munby, permanent secretary in DSIT, also appearing before 바카라사이트 committee, said: “I think 바카라사이트 secretary of state has been very clear that those clearances did indeed take place.”
Ms Donelan said 바카라사이트 official who “alerted” her to 바카라사이트 tweet “had been alerted 바카라사이트mselves”.
The minister also said 바카라사이트re would be an “internal review of processes [in DSIT] to ensure we’ve learned 바카라사이트 lessons of this and that we don’t ever repeat those”.
She added: “I do apologise for tweeting this letter publicly. And I have formally retracted my concerns as well.”
Lord Drayson also pressed Ms Donelan on her department's response to a "broken" university funding model.
Ms Donelan told him: "I think you said to 바카라사이트 permanent secretary, ‘do we think it’s a crisis?’. No, we do not. Are we working closely with 바카라사이트 Department for Education to make sure that we are across 바카라사이트 financial health of 바카라사이트 universities that are leading on research?…Absolutely.”
The committee hearing was held to examine Ms Donelan on a year of work by DSIT, created in February 2023.
The department had been focused on “delivery, delivery and delivery”, she said, highlighting its delivery of a UK-hosted Global Summit on AI, 바카라사이트 Online Safety Act and a “bespoke deal for Britain to rejoin Horizon Europe”.
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