MPs question senior civil servants on FCDO cuts
On Tuesday 9 December, MPs will question the most senior civil servants at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on reported plans to cut UK staff by up to a fifth.
Giving evidence to the International Development Committee are Sir Oliver Robbins and Nick Dyer, Permanent Under-Secretary and Second Permanent Under-Secretary respectively, as well as FCDO Finance Director Tim Jones.
Sir Oliver told the Foreign Affairs Committee in July that he expected the department to cut overall headcount by 15-25%. The FCDO has already given notice of 1,885 redundancies.
Meeting details
Following the Committee’s previous session with the PCS Union, which raised concerns about the FCDO’s proposed restructure, members are likely to ask about the speed with which it is being pursued, which ministers are leading it, and what impact it is likely to have on the department’s commitments such as women and girls mainstreaming.
Other issues likely to be discussed include the department’s control over the aid budget, funding for British International Investment and the Integrated Security Fund.