§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in her Department work(a) in the Strategic Development Unit and (b) on Regulatory Impact Assessment matters. [89092]
237WS
§ Alun MichaelThere is no unit within Defra specifically called the Strategic Development Unit. The Policy and Corporate Strategy Unit in Defra employs 59 officials of whom approximately 21 work on strategic policy. Their functions include promoting the development of strategic capability across the Department as a whole.
Five people work full time in the Better Regulation Unit, which is responsible for advice and guidance within Defra on the Regulatory Impact Assessment process. The unit is supervised by a member of the senior civil service who is also engaged in other duties. Responsibility for preparing individual RIAs rests with officials in the policy divisions who draw on other expertise as necessary, for example economic advisers.