Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2 July 2001 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Porton Down, Wiltshire |
| Employees | 3,636 (2009/10 average) |
| Agency executive | |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Defence |
| Website | www |
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Responsibility for it lies with the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, currently Harriett Baldwin. Its board is chaired by Sir David Pepper.
Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK."
In July 2001, the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) was split into two parts, Dstl and Qinetiq. Dstl was established to carry out science and technology work that is best done within government, while the majority and that suitable for industry was transferred to QinetiQ, a wholly owned government company before being floated on the stock exchange.
Dstl is a trading fund owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. Most funding comes from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), while a small portion comes from other government departments and commercial sources. According to 2012/13 figures, 93% of Dstl's income comes from the MOD.
From its creation in 2001 the Chief Executive was Martin J Earwicker until he left in 2006 for the Science Museum. Dr Frances Saunders took over as acting Chief Executive in May 2006 and was appointed as Chief Executive in August 2007.
On 29 June 2011 Dr Saunders announced to staff that her post had been advertised and that she would not be applying. On 13 December 2011 the MOD announced that Jonathan Lyle, Director of the Programme Office at Dstl, would replace Dr Saunders in March 2012.
In 2015 Dstl completed a major reorganisation, merging 12 operating Departments into five Divisions on 1 April 2015. The motivation behind this change was to enable more coherent and productive delivery to customers and simplify access routes for suppliers.
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