Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to recruit more officials to assist with the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.

All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 450 staff based in the UK plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels. We regularly review headcount to ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the negotiations.

The Department is continuing to recruit the brightest and the best from across the civil service, the wider public sector and the private sector. Numbers are regularly changing and our aim is to have a streamlined Department, while hiring in the right skills and experience to get the best outcome for the UK.