Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the Civil Service workforce in his Department dedicated to planning for (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) projects relating to the UK leaving the EU.

Exit is an all-of-government operation. The Department for Exiting the European Union is doing detailed work with departments to prepare for the upcoming negotiations by understanding the risks and opportunities of leaving the EU and coordinating planning.

The Department for International Trade was established as a direct result of the referendum decision to leave the EU to secure UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment and championing free trade.

Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department’s other priorities, it would not be possible to give an accurate figure.