Defence Written evidence from the National Security Adviser, Cabinet Office

National Security Secretarial Staffing and Capacity

Numbers of staff disaggregated by grade

Below are the numbers of Full time Equivalent (FTE) staff in post in the National Security Secretariat (NSS) in the first quarter of 201314.

These figures represent total staff and include Cabinet Office staff, and staff from Other Government Departments on both paid and free loan into Cabinet Office (and, therefore differ slightly from the figures for headcount only, provided in March to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy).

Grade	FTEs
Senior Civil Service	20.1
Grades A—C	181.05
TOTAL	201.15

Numbers with a military background

Around a dozen members of staff in NSS are either currently serving, or have previously served, in HM Armed Forces. Many more, including several at the level of Director and Director General, have career history in MOD; more still have extensive experience working with the military to provide strategic and operational advice.

Numbers qualified to advise on strategy

The Civil Service places a strong emphasis on the development of strategic skills. In terms of leadership, those appointed to the Senior Civil Service (more than 20 staff in NSS are at SCS grades) must have a track record of creating evidence-based strategies.

Extent to which staff numbers will rise as 2015 approaches (in order to enable production of the 2015 National Security Strategy and SDSR).

As the precise requirements of the 2015 National Security Strategy and SDSR have not been established, it is not possible to indicate the extent of the potential rise in staff numbers. However, it is envisaged that any temporary rise in staff numbers will be resourced through departmental loans and the short-term redeployment of some existing team members.

Overall budget for NSS; the effect of 2013 Spending Review on this budget.

The overall budget for NSS is approximately £19 million in FY201314.

The budget settlement for NSS is subject to reductions of more than 33% across the 2010 Spending Review period. Cabinet Office budget allocations for further financial years have not been finalised.

Sir Kim Darroch KCMG

2 August 2013