Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many civil servants are working on his Department's papers to prepare for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 650 staff based in the UK plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels working on EU exit work.

The Department continues to recruit the brightest and the best from across the civil service, the wider public sector and the private sector. We regularly review headcount to ensure we are appropriately resourced to deliver the Department’s objectives to secure the best possible deal on the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU; and build a deep and comprehensive future partnership between the UK and the EU.