The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK". The agency is headed by Paul Hollinshead as its Chief Executive, with the board being chaired by Adrian Belton. Ministerial responsibility lies with the Minister for Defence Procurement. History Dstl was formed from the July 2001 split of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). Dstl was established to carry out and retain the science and technology work that is best done within government, while work that could be done by industry (forming the majority of DERA's activities) was transferred to Qinetiq, a government-owned company that was later floated on the stock exchange. Dstl absorbed the Home Office's Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) in April 2018, taking on CAST's role to apply science and technology to support the Home Office's operations and frontline delivery, provide evidence to support policy, and perform certain regulatory functions. Dstl was a trading fund of the MOD from its formation until 2016, when it became an executive agency of the MOD. Organisation Most of Dstl's funding comes from the MOD, while a small portion comes from other government departments and commercial sources. In 2016/17, 91% of Dstl's £587m income came from the MOD. In April 2015, Dstl completed a major reorganisation, merging twelve operating departments into five divisions. The motivation behind this change was to enable more coherent and productive delivery to customers and simplify access routes for suppliers. Leadership Martin Earwicker (2001–06): Chief Executive from its creation in 2001, until he left in 2006 for the Science Museum. Dr Frances Saunders (2006–11): took over as acting Chief Executive in May 2006 and was appointed as Chief Executive in August 2007. On 29 June 2011, Saunders announced to staff that her post had been advertised and that she would not be applying. Jonathan Lyle (2012–17): formerly Director of the Programme Office at Dstl, placed into an acting role and was appointed in March 2012. David Marsh: acting Chief Executive from September 2017 to January 2018. Gary Aitkenhead (2018–2021). Doug Umbers: interim Chief Executive from April 2021 to February 2022. Paul Hollinshead (2022 - ) Operations Dstl carries out a broad range of work from high-level analysis to support Ministry of Defence policy and