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Key figures › Departments › Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Ed Miliband has been Foreign Secretary since 20 July 2026, according to the UK Parliament Members API. HM Treasury's PESA 2026 records total departmental expenditure limits of £10.9 billion in 2025-26, with plans of £9.4 billion for 2026-27. In 2025-26 prices, the department's total DEL was £11.1 billion in 2021-22 and £10.9 billion in 2025-26. The Cabinet Office's Civil Service Statistics 2026 count 8,890 civil servants (9,435 a year earlier) at 31 March 2026, by headcount. The median salary of its civil servants was £52,870, and 48.9% of those whose sex is recorded were women. The National Audit Office's most recent report listed for the department is "Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Accounts 2025-26" (21 July 2026).

Foreign Secretary
Ed Miliband
since 20 July 2026
Total DEL 2025-26
£10.9 billion
PESA 2026, outturn
Civil servants
8,890
headcount, 31 March 2026 · 8,735 full-time equivalent

Spending

Financial yearTotal DELResource DELCapital DELAdministration budgetTotal managed expenditureTotal DEL, 2025-26 prices
2021-22 outturn£9.1 billion£7.4 billion£1.8 billion£231 million£9.9 billion£11.1 billion
2022-23 outturn£9.3 billion£7.2 billion£2.2 billion£277 million£10.4 billion£10.6 billion
2023-24 outturn£11.1 billion£7.7 billion£3.4 billion£301 million£12.1 billion£12.0 billion
2024-25 outturn£10.9 billion£8.3 billion£2.7 billion£326 million£12.5 billion£11.3 billion
2025-26 outturn£10.9 billion£7.7 billion£3.2 billion£333 million£11.6 billion£10.9 billion
2026-27 plans£9.4 billion£6.3 billion£3.1 billion£327 million£10.5 billion£9.2 billion
2027-28 plans£8.7 billion£6.5 billion£2.2 billion£328 million£9.4 billion£8.3 billion
2028-29 plans£9.3 billion£6.6 billion£2.7 billion£319 million£9.9 billion£8.8 billion

Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, Chapter 1. What DEL and total managed expenditure cover.

Civil service staff

Measure31 March 202631 March 2025
Headcount8,8909,435
Full-time equivalent8,7359,255
Median salary£52,870–
Women, % of known sex48.9%–
Responsibility levelHeadcount
Senior Civil Service530
Grade 6 or Grade 73,490
Senior or Higher Executive Officer3,550
Executive Officer885
Administrative Assistant or Administrative Officer440
With an unreported grade0
OrganisationHeadcount
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (excl. agencies)7,620
FCDO Services1,185
Wilton Park85

Source: Civil Service Statistics 2026 and 2025, Cabinet Office.

Secretary of State

Ed Miliband (Labour, MP for Doncaster North) has held the post of Foreign Secretary since 20 July 2026. UK Parliament: career · Ed Miliband's record in Parliament

National Audit Office reports

All departments · Budgets and OBR forecasts · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on GOV.UK

Sources