Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to recruit more trade specialists as a result of the outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Mr Hugo Swire

As The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), told the House on 27 June, the Cabinet has agreed the creation of a new EU Unit in Whitehall, which will bring together officials and policy expertise from across the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

It will report to the whole of the Cabinet on delivering the outcome of the referendum, advising on transitional issues and exploring options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world from outside the EU.

The Prime Minister has also said that it is important for us to secure the best and brightest from the private sector, whether they are lawyers, financial experts or trade experts.