Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many officials in his Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of his Department.

In the run-up to the 29^th of March deadline, the Department temporarily reprioritised 532 people to further support critical EU-exit work. In light of the Article 50 extension to the 31^st of October, the Department has revaluated its portfolio work and is in the process of deprioritising these people. Of the original 532 people, 167 continue to support this critical EU-Exit work as of the 28^th of May. During this time BEIS continued, and still continues, to deliver on its diverse portfolio.