Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2017 on trade matters, HCWS271, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of appointing the nine Her Britannic Majesty's Trade Commissioners.

The department has budgeted for up to £80,000 for the recruitment of Her Britannic Majesty’s Trade Commissioners. This includes candidate attraction, recruitment and assessment costs.

These activities are standard procedure for senior positions across government and will ensure we attract a wide and diverse candidate field and appropriately test key leadership behaviours and technical expertise for these flagship roles.