Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are working on the European renegotiation strategy.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), is leading the renegotiation, but the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) and I play an important role. Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are staffing this appropriately.

Since he took office in 2014, the Foreign Secretary has visited nearly all EU capitals and held meetings with MEPs, Commissioners, Foreign Ministers and a wide range of opinion formers across the EU.