Department for Exiting the European Union
The Department for Exiting the European Union was the government department of the United Kingdom responsible for overseeing negotiations relating to Brexit, and establishing the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU. It was formed by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, in July 2016, in the wake of the referendum vote to leave the European Union. The department was dissolved on 31 January 2020 when Brexit took effect.
The department was formed by combining staff from the Cabinet Office’s Europe Unit, the Europe Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the United Kingdom's Permanent Representation to the EU, and was able to take on staff from other government departments as necessary. The department was overseen by David Davis MP until he resigned on 8 July 2018. Dominic Raab was appointed as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on 9 July 2018, but resigned on 15 November 2018 over the draft withdrawal agreement. His replacement was announced on 16 November 2018 to be Stephen Barclay.
Ministers
The Ministers in the Department for Exiting the European Union were as follows:| Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
| The Rt Hon. Stephen Barclay MP | Secretary of State | Overall responsibility for the work of the department; including work to support the UK's negotiations to leave the EU and to conduct the negotiations in support of the Prime Minister |
| The Rt Hon. The Lord Callanan | Minister of State | Departmental business in the House of Lords, EU ongoing business, general affairs council, JMC, civil society, and EU institutions |
| James Duddridge MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Legislation and constitution; citizens and networks ; market access, trade and Future Economic Partnership; security; Northern Ireland and Ireland; business engagement ; Devolved Administrations; English Regions; Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. |
The first Permanent Secretary at the department was Oliver Robbins. In September 2017, Robbins left the department as the prime minister appointed him the EU adviser in the Cabinet Office. In October 2017, Philip Rycroft was appointed the new Permanent Secretary, having previously been the department's Second Permanent Secretary. After his departure in March 2019, he was replaced by Clare Moriarty, previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.