Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the merger of his Department with the Department for International Development cost; and how many roles will be (a) lost and (b) created (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas as a result of that merger.

The creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has unified our international efforts so we can maximise the UK's influence around the world.

As the Foreign Secretary has said, we will implement the merger in the most cost-effective way possible. The ultimate shape of the FCDO will depend on the outcomes of the Integrated Review and Spending Review which will define the Government's ambition for the UK's role in the world and the long-term strategic aims for our national security, defence, development and foreign policy. As such, it is not possible to determine yet the anticipated final costs of the merger or the size of the department needed to deliver against those ambitions. We anticipate there may be cost savings in the long term as a result of using our resources more effectively and efficiently, though this is not the primary goal of the merger.

The Foreign Secretary has said there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the merger, but that some roles and responsibilities may change. We will continue to engage with staff throughout this process.