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Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee

5th Special Report: Equipping the Government for Brexit: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report

Published 19 December 2016

Foreign Affairs Committee Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world inquiry Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to 2nd Report - Equipping the Government for Brexit.

This is the government's response, published 19 December 2016.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and sets out its response to each recommendation, without accepting the calls for a substantial funding increase or the 'gross negligence' finding in terms.

  • On funding, the Government says cross-Government discussions are underway on how the FCO allocates the resources required, which "will help ensure" it has what it needs. It does not commit to a substantial increase.
  • It points to the Chancellor's Autumn Statement announcement of £10m over the Spending Review period for jointly-funded FCO and Department for International Trade trade policy officers.
  • On staff moving to DExEU, the Government says they are "being loaned" and can return, with the associated funding, "in the event that DExEU’s work is complete", without prejudice to future Ministerial decisions.
  • On contingency planning, it notes that the previous Government "took the decision not to undertake planning" and says the current Government is working on its approach, with the Prime Minister leading negotiations supported by DExEU and the FCO.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

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