Foreign Office set to shrink by up to 25%, says top mandarin

Job cuts are expected at all levels in the department (Lucy North/PA) - (PA Archive)

The Foreign Office is set to shrink by up to a quarter as ministers look to slim down the Civil Service, the department’s top mandarin has told MPs.

Sir Olly Robbins, permanent under-secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that his department was expecting to lose “15-25%” of staff by 2029.