Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.

Equality, diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the Civil Service is an important lever to support the delivery of the Government's Plan for Change and wider Civil Service reform. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) total staff headcount is approximately 17,500 employees and the full time equivalent (FTE) of staff hired in EDI roles is currently 2.9 (reflected as FTE as these staff also have other responsibilities). These roles sit within HR as required by the Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance published in May 2024. There are no plans to abolish these roles as they are crucial to ensuring the FCDO meets Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.