Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason (a) the number of staff and (b) staff costs have increased at The Insolvency Service since April 2017.

The Insolvency Service has expanded its responsibilities in respect of resourcing the transfer of criminal enforcement functions from the Department, work to distribute payments to creditors from Payment Protection Insurance realisations, and the Insolvency Service's expanded role as it has taken on responsibility for enforcement activity related to the economic crime programme.

These factors, together with the implementation of civil service pay awards, have also affected staff costs over this period.