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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the ministerial department figures in his Department's workforce management information data for February and March 2023, for what reason the payroll staff numbers are different between the two months but the payroll staff costs are identical.

March 2023 payroll costs were not available in time for inclusion in the March 2023 monthly workforce management information update, so February 2023 data was re-used as an estimate to be revised when the data had been received.

Payroll staff costs for March 2023 have now been revised in the Defra workforce management information collection on GOV.UK to reflect the correct payroll staff costs.