The team of senior civil servants posted to the Government’s new Brexit department will be dwarfed by those controlled by other cabinet ministers in Whitehall, it has emerged.

Even the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which only recently was tipped for closure, will have a bigger top team when the new Brexit department is fully up and running.

Embarrassingly for Brexit Secretary David Davis, his rival at the Foreign Office, Boris Johnson, wields a team nearly eight times bigger.

It comes after Mr Davis had suggested his department would have 200 staff in total and skim off the best people from other Whitehall fiefdoms.

Documents released by the newly formed Department for Exiting the European Union show it will be run by a team of 32 senior civil servants.

Mr Davis’ Permanent Secretary will be Oliver Robbins, who was pinched from the Home Office where he had responsibility for immigration and free movement policy, and oversight of the borders, immigration and citizenship system.

Director General Sarah Healey was taken from the DCMS, though she has had spells at the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education.

DCMS, where Karen Bradley recently won her first cabinet post, has a team of 46 senior civil servants, while the Treasury has just under 100.

Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback LONDON, UK - JULY 16 : A speaker addresses the EDL members at Hyde Park. About a hundred members of The English Defence League (EDL) march on Park Lane for a rally in Hyde Park. The march on 16 July 2016 was heavily policed keeping the group away from the public. (Photo by David Mbiyu/Corbis via Getty Images) Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a ‘love bombing’ rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback The Peoples Assembly Against Austerity, Black Live Matters and The Socialist Workers Party organised a march on Saturday July 16th in London, United Kingdom, against austerity, cuts and Racism. The groups also marched in solidarity against Tory government policies. (Photo by Gail Orenstein/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a top team of around 382, though many are diplomats.

The brewing turf war between Mr Davis, Mr Johnson and Liam Fox at the Department for International Trade is set to become an on-going feature of Theresa May’s administration.

The Prime Minister had to tell squabbling ministers to get on with their jobs after it emerged Dr Fox sent Mr Johnson a letter effectively calling for the Foreign Office to be broken up.

Dr Fox had suggested that the UK would secure better international trade if he annexed responsibility for future trade diplomacy from Mr Johnson.