Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff were employed in overseas postings in the 2025-26 financial year; and how many staff are forecast to be employed in overseas postings in each of the next five financial years.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a smaller, more agile organisation, better able to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. Staff reductions are being made strategically, with decisions guided by an organisational prioritisation exercise. An Overseas Network Review is running in parallel to ensure our global footprint is best able to deliver UK objectives. The department will set out further details in due course.