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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many civil servants currently working for the Government have been involved in negotiating trade deals over the last 20 years.

Trade policy is an EU competence. The European Commission conducts trade negotiations on behalf of the EU and its Member States. It does this working closely with the Member States and the European Parliament.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) leads the cross-Whitehall effort to influence the EU’s negotiating position in trade negotiations and ensure this reflects UK interests. There are approximately 40 officials in BIS currently working on the full range of EU trade policy matters, including trade negotiations. They are assisted by officials in other Government Departments.