(3 years, 6 months ago)
Written StatementsI would like to update the House on the official development assistance (ODA) allocation by Department, 2020-21. ODA allocation by Department (£m) 2020-21 allocations made at the 2019 spending review Revised 20-21 allocations FCDO 11,865 11,075 BEIS 1,406 1,281 CSSF 687 644 HO 482 482 DHSC 301 273 Prosperity Fund 295 237 DEFRA 95 95 Other 58 54 1. The FCDO total for SR19 is constructed using the original DFID (accounting for reclassified R&D confirmed at SB20) and FCO SR19 allocations. 2. These figures do not account for budget exchanges or transfers that are agreed and occur between Departments at mains and supplementary estimates. 3. Departmental ODA outturn figures may differ from allocations due to transfers undertaken and agreed between Departments, budget exchanges, and any financial year underspend that may occur. 4. ODA allocations are adjusted as needed at fiscal events in line with OBR projections. 5. ODA in cross-government funds (CSSF and Prosperity Fund) is spent by several Government Departments. 6. “Other” includes DfE, DCMS, DWP, MOD, HMRC, HMT, ONS and Barnett given to the devolved Administrations as a result of UK Government spend on ODA.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s provisional statistics on international development confirmed that the UK met the target to spend 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance in the 2020 calendar year. https://www.gov.uk/government/ statistics/statistics-on-international-development-provisional-uk-aid-spend-2020.
Following the end of the 2020-21 financial year, we are now publishing the total ODA allocations to Departments and cross-Government funds for 2020-21, as set by HM Treasury at the 2019 spending round and subsequently adjusted through supplementary estimates 2020-21.
The below allocations show the revised financial year budget for 2020-21 compared to SR19 allocations. As set out in the “Official Development Assistance spending for 2020: First Secretary of State’s letter” published on 22 July, last summer the Government identified a package of possible reductions in their planned ODA spend for the calendar year 2020, which included arrangements to tailor spending further during the remaining months to enable the Government to manage ODA spend against an uncertain 0.7% position. That package included underspends, delaying activity and stopping some spend. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-spending-for-2020-first-secretary-of-states-letter/official-development-assistance-oda-spending-for-2020-first-secretary-of-states-letter.
The Foreign Secretary led a cross-government review of how ODA is allocated for 2021-22 against the Government’s priorities after the 2020 spending review. The final allocations were provided in a written ministerial statement on 26 January 2021 (HCWS735).
[HCWS25]