Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to his oral Answer on 23 November, what discussion he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the additional funding for his Department following the Autumn Budget 2017 and how many additional staff he plans to recruit as a result of that additional funding.

As the Chancellor announced in Budget, a further £3 billion has been set aside for Brexit preparations over the next two years, and the Department will work with HM Treasury, to ensure it receives the additional funding it needs in 2018-19. The number of additional staff recruited will be agreed as part of this process.