Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants in his Department are currently working on planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and how many have been moved from other projects to work on those plans.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently has a central team of ten civil servants who deal exclusively with Defence issues relating to the UK's decision to leave the EU. Four of these have recently joined the team, having moved from elsewhere within the Department to support planning for the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. The central team draws on a wide network of subject matter experts across all relevant business areas within MOD; they provide support and input as required, in addition to their normal duties. The MOD continually reviews workforce plans and reprioritises as necessary.