Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DFID) on employment at DFID’s office at Abercrombie House, East Kilbride.

Merging the departments will bring together the best of what we do in aid and diplomacy, and create new opportunities for staff. There are no plans to close DFID’s office in Scotland, where staff play a vital role in ensuring UK aid delivers results for the world’s poorest and value for UK taxpayers.