Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants are engaged in negotiations with the EU on a post-transition period trade deal.
Negotiations with the EU are led by Task Force Europe. This is a small central unit within the Prime Minister’s Office led by the Chief Negotiator David Frost and currently has 42 staff. These negotiations are a cross-departmental effort and accordingly involve a larger number of staff overall. For example, more than a hundred UK staff have been involved in recent negotiating rounds, supported by FCO officials and others.