Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

The Industrial Strategy is a cross-government policy which comprises and drives a significant number of initiatives. These span a wide array of policy areas across 20 government departments and arms-length bodies.

Trade is a critical element of the Industrial Strategy. Global trade has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on prosperity in the UK and around the world. International trade and investment are linked to increased jobs, productivity, growth, prosperity and development. The structure and networks the Department for International Trade (DIT) has put in place ensure the Department can deliver on the international aspects of the Industrial Strategy.

Given the breadth of the delivery work, it is difficult to obtain accurate figures for resources associated with the Industrial Strategy in teams within DIT. This information is unlikely to be retrievable at this point in time and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.