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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Second Permanent Secretary has been seconded to the Blavatnik School of Government; and whether the Civil Service is funding his salary.

The secondment to the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford forms part of the Civil Service's commitment to promoting the exchange of skills, knowledge and experience between government and external organisations. As is standard for secondments, Defra continues to pay the Second Permanent Secretary’s salary and Defra is being reimbursed by Oxford University for his role there.