Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will ensure that there will be no forced relocations of staff through the merging of her Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

When the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is formally established we will be working to transfer existing DFID employees into it. We may need a different skill or grade mix in different locations overseas to enable the new Department to deliver on its objectives; it is too early to say precisely what changes will be needed.

There will be no forced relocations of staff in the UK when the new Department is created, although we will be developing plans in due course to move UK-based roles out of London in line with the Government’s wider Places for Growth agenda.

Any required changes in the location of roles or staff in the UK or overseas will be handled in accordance with relevant civil service policy and guidance.