Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time members of staff in his Department (a) were working on the Northern Powerhouse initiative before the EU referendum, (b) are currently working on the initiative and (c) are projected to work on the initiative in 2016-17.

Our ambitious plans to build a Northern Powerhouse remain a government priority. The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister for the Northern Powerhouse will lead the work across the whole of government to help make the North a powerhouse for the UK economy. This will build on the strong progress made over the last two years.

The Northern Powerhouse cuts across a range of policy areas within the Treasury, including devolution, local growth, transport, trade and investment, enterprise and innovation and skills and education. Officials from across these wider policy areas continue to be engaged on the Northern Powerhouse agenda.