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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent permanent staff of his Department are allocated to working on (a) preparations and (b) negotiations for the post-2020 framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

There are approximately three to four full time equivalent permanent Defra staff, plus employees of Defra delivery bodies, working on preparations for the post-2020 framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Of these approximately two full time equivalent permanent staff are involved in negotiations.