Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to meet the UK Government's commitment to moving 22,000 civil servants outside of central London by 2030, and in particular to the East Midlands.

Defra is committed to playing its part in the levelling up agenda and strengthening the Union through a growing presence across the UK. The Department is already geographically dispersed, with over three-quarters of Defra civil servants based outside London, including in our policy hubs in York and Bristol, and 85% of all staff in Defra Group including arms-length bodies. The Department will play its part in the Government’s commitment to move 22,000 civil servant posts outside London by 2030, and base half of all senior civil servant posts outside London by 2030.

In the East Midlands, Defra has 880 staff. We are committed to joining the new Government hub in Peterborough from next year