Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 16 June 2020 on Global Britain, whether there will be a loss of (a) staff members and (b) expertise from the Department for International Development as a result of the merger of the Department of International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to create a new department, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Merging the departments will bring together the best of what we do in aid and diplomacy, and create new opportunities for staff. The ambition, vision and expertise of DFID staff will be at the heart of the new department – taking forward the work of UK aid, which will remain central to our mission. There will be no compulsory redundancies.