Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2020 to Question 21133 on Overseas Companies: India, how much funding was allocated to the South Asia Network for staff and non-pay expenditure in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19; and if she will make a statement.

The final budget delegated to the South Asia region for the financial year 2018-19 was £4.30m, comprising £3.25m for local staff and non-pay expenditure and £1.05m relating to salary costs for civil servants based in the region.

The final budget delegated to the South Asia region for the financial year 2017-18 was £2.85m for local staff and non-pay expenditure. In 2017-18 budgets for salary costs relating to civil servants based in overseas regions were not delegated but held centrally.

These figures do not include elements of wider Department for International Trade budgets, which are not set at an overseas regional level but do support the delivery of trade in overseas regions, including in South Asia.

We regularly change departmental budgets to align with progress against delivery plans.