Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many officials in his Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of his Department.

The number of individuals who have been transferred or seconded to work in preparations for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in other Government departments is not recorded.

Across the Department, staff are working on a range of policy areas related to EU Exit. Communications, analytical and legal staff also provide advice as required. Staff may have been redistributed within their directorates to support or undertake work which involves preparations for EU Exit. Officials may also have reprioritised their work to include EU Exit work, whilst remaining in their primary roles.

The Department is continually reviewing workforce plans, reprioritising and assessing changing needs, including identification and cessation of non-priority work where appropriate. The Civil Service as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit implementation is carried out to a high standard, without impacting public service delivery across the whole of Government.