HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds has been spent by Devon County Council on diversity efforts, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

The FOI showed that of its £1,710million total net budget for 2023/24, the council allocated £127,225 to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in 2022/23 and £208,870 in 2023/24.

The council’s budget for DEI in 2024/25 is £215,000, another FOI request shows.

The council has three members of staff whose roles are focused on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

An FOI shows that at least one of the three earns more than £50,000 per annum.

Since 2019, the council has held 14 DEI-related training courses per year for its employees.