Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of civil servants in his Department who would be seconded to work in other Departments in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a negotiated deal.
It is the top priority of the government to leave the EU with a deal, but it is also the responsibility of the government to prepare for all scenarios, including the prospect of a no deal.
As the Civil Service is focused on delivering the government’s most pressing priorities, we must make use of the resources and expertise that we have available to make sure that the UK is prepared for all Brexit scenarios on exit day. This includes departments sharing staff and working together on joint projects. The number of staff being seconded from the department is yet to be determined.