Anna McMorrin

The UK remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs will play an important role in post-COVID-19 recovery, recognising the connection between healthy lives, healthy societies and a healthy environment. As the Prime Minister affirmed on 28 May, we owe it to future generations to build back better, basing our recovery on a fairer, greener and more resilient global economy, and to get our shared goals back on track, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the last month the International Development Secretary and I have held several calls with our counterparts, including from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, to stress the importance of donors providing funds to the humanitarian response in Yemen.

UK officials have also held similar discussions with their counterparts around the world.

The UK announced our new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June, taking our total commitment since the conflict began to £970 million.

On Thursday 23 April, DFID’s Acting Permanent Secretary discussed the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen and the urgent need for additional funding with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock.

The UN has requested over $2.4 billion of funding to be able to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen until the end of this year.

I announced on 2 June that the UK will provide £160 million in response to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis this financial year (2020/21). This brings our overall commitment to Yemen to £970 million since the conflict began in 2015.

My Department is at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines are available to everyone who needs them, including in low-income and fragile states. On 4 June, the UK will host the Global Vaccines Summit (GVS2020) alongside GAVI who are uniquely placed to ensure safe, effective and affordable COVID-19 vaccines can be rolled out at scale to ensure equitable access. The UK is the leading donor to GAVI and we recently announced the equivalent of £330 million a year for five years, covering the business planning period 2021-2025.

The UK is at the forefront of tackling forced displacement and supporting refugees around the world, including support to Syrian refugees in Turkey and the Middle East, most notably Jordan and Lebanon. We also continue to offer support to the Greek Government to alleviate pressure and deliver sustainable improvements in the Greek migration system.

To date, the UK has committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. We are a key contributor to the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan which aims to ensure support to the most vulnerable groups including refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. This includes significant support to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help install hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, and increase access to clean water for displaced people.

We are working closely with the UN, International Financial Institutions, global health multilaterals, and wider international system to push for a strong and coordinated global response to the crisis and to ensure the most vulnerable groups, including refugees, are not left behind. As part of this, there is regular Ministerial and senior official engagement with the G7, G20, World Bank Group and other Multilateral Development Banks, UN agencies, and bilateral partners.

The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA). Our funding helps provide education to more than 533,000 children (half of which are girls), health services for around 3.1 million Palestinian refugees, and social safety net assistance for around 255,000 of the most vulnerable.

The services that UNRWA provide play a key role in helping contain and address the spread of COVID-19. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are working closely with UNRWA and the international community to ensure a co-ordinated response to the outbreak.

DFID undertakes reviews of all its programmes, including nutrition programmes, on an annual basis, including whether intended outcomes and impacts are being achieved. We also invest in evaluating our programmes to enable us to learn what works and to adapt our approaches accordingly.

In 2020, we have been looking across DFID’s country portfolio to assess where there is scope to improve how we address malnutrition as part of the government’s commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children – and considering current efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact is close to finalising its review of DFID’s work on nutrition. This will provide important insights into how we can further strengthen the work we do, and we look forward to receiving the final report in September.

Across the Middle East, malnutrition rates, as well as food insecurity levels, are very concerning, particularly in Yemen and Syria where rates are among the highest in the world.

In Yemen, last financial year (19/20), UK support helped UNICEF screen over 400,000 children for severe acute malnutrition and enabled 45,000 children to be enrolled in nutrition programmes after screening. The UK is the second-largest donor to the malnutrition response in Yemen and we continue to encourage other donors to provide significant funding to Yemen, including for the malnutrition response.

In Syria, last financial year (19/20), the UK reached over 170,000 children under five, or pregnant or new mothers, with nutrition interventions. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis since it began in 2011. We are at the forefront of the humanitarian response, driving other donors to help those acutely in need, including on key issues such as malnutrition.

On Friday 17 April, the Secretary of State for International Development spoke with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley. Their discussion covered COVID-19, the need for humanitarian access in Yemen (to enable the delivery of food to vulnerable people) and the current food scarcity risk posed by locusts in the Middle East and Africa.

On Monday 27 April, I spoke with the Government of Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Hadrami, where we discussed ways of stabilising Yemen’s economy (which will be critical for ensuring food imports and preventing a further deterioration in food scarcity).

On Thursday 23 April, DFID’s Acting Permanent Secretary discussed ways of improving humanitarian funding levels in Yemen, including in response to malnutrition and food scarcity, with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock.

Ministers and UK officials also remain in close contact with other donors on malnutrition and food scarcity across the Middle East.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in line with the UK strategic objectives set out in the Integrated Review, amid the challenging financial climate of COVID. We have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends. Impact on beneficiaries of UK aid, supply partners and equalities were all considered.

In 2018, the UK pledged £250 million as core funding for the Global Environment Facility. This is paid over four years (2018-2022) with annual payments of £62.5 million. We will be making the 2021/22 payment later this financial year. The Government does not intend to make an additional contribution to the Global Environment Facility's Special Climate Change Fund this year.

As set out at the International Development Committee last week, budgets would not normally be set out this early in the year. The normal process is for country allocations to be published by the Statistics for International Development. That process will not take place until 2022.

The FCDO has prioritised our reduced Overseas Development Assistance funding in the Middle East and North Africa so that the UK remains a force for good across the region against the challenging financial climate created by COVID-19. We are prioritising essential humanitarian assistance to those worst affected by conflict and COVID-19, notably in Syria and Yemen. We are continuing to focus on education and getting vulnerable girls into school and will also continue to support conflict resolution and stabilisation, open societies. Alongside our current programmes, we will also begin new programming to tackle climate change.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's aid budget has been allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against the challenging financial climate of COVID. UK Aid will continue to prioritise humanitarian support and conflict resolution as part of its core priorities for poverty reduction. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends.

The UK's contribution to the EU's Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT) remains unaffected by the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI, in line with Article 155 of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. The UK will continue to meet direct contribution commitments to the FRIT for the duration of the programme.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in line with the UK strategic objectives set out in the Integrated Review, amid the challenging financial climate of COVID-19. We have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends. Impact on beneficiaries of UK aid, on supply partners and on equalities were all considered.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in line with the UK strategic objectives set out in the Integrated Review, amid the challenging financial climate of COVID-19. We have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends. Impact on beneficiaries of UK aid, on supply partners and on equalities were all considered.

Despite financial pressures, the UK remains a leading humanitarian donor, having committed over £3.7 billion to the Syria crisis and more than £1 billion to the Yemen responses since the conflicts began. COVID-19 continues to pose a particularly significant threat in Syria. The UK is one of the leading donors supporting UN and International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) partners to deliver vital healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene activities across Syria, all which help to mitigate the threat posed by COVID-19. UK support to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility has seen the first batch of 203,000 vaccine doses delivered to Damascus and 53,800 doses to north west Syria on 22 April.

In Yemen, in partnership with the World Bank and WHO, the UK will fund roll out costs for nearly 2 million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine allocated to Yemen via the COVAX facility. The first batch of 360,000 doses was delivered on the 31 March.

The UK is at the forefront of responding to forced displacement globally and we remain committed to supporting refugees and displaced persons. We continue to champion the principles of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), with its focus on longer term support that enables refugees to find work, access education and other key services, while also benefitting host communities and countries. The UK endorsed the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in 2018, the first international framework for cooperation on migration. The UK resettled over 20,000 refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in Syria through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). This included those requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence, torture, and women and children at risk to safely rebuild their lives in the UK.

Following a thorough review, the FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against a challenging financial climate of COVID. The portfolio agreed by the Foreign Secretary will focus our investment and expertise on issues where the UK can make the most difference and achieve maximum strategic coherence, impact, and value for money. FCDO will now work through what this means for individual programmes, in line with the priorities we have outlined.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in line with the UK strategic objectives set out in the Integrated Review, amid the challenging financial climate of COVID. We have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends. Impact on beneficiaries of UK aid, supply partners and equalities were all considered.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in line with the UK strategic objectives set out in the Integrated Review, amid the challenging financial climate of COVID. We have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. Allocation decisions took into account a range of factors, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of draft business plans and sectoral analysis of key trends. Impact on beneficiaries of UK aid, supply partners and equalities were all considered.

The FCDO has prioritised our reduced Overseas Development Assistance funding in the Middle East and North Africa so that the UK remains a force for good across the region against the challenging financial climate created by COVID-19. We are prioritising essential humanitarian assistance to those worst affected by conflict and COVID-19, notably in Syria and Yemen. We are continuing to focus on education and getting vulnerable girls into school and will also continue to support conflict resolution and stabilisation, open societies. Alongside our current programmes, we will also begin new programming to tackle climate change.

The impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on aid. For Yemen, we have pledged at least £87 million for this financial year. This will feed 240,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis every month, support 400 healthcare clinics and provide clean water for 1.6 million people. We will also provide one-off cash support to 1.5 million of Yemen's poorest households to help them buy food and basic supplies.

We fully support the peace process led by the UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and urge the parties to engage constructively with this process. On 1 March 2021 I [Minister Cleverly] spoke to UN Special Envoy Griffiths about how best the UK can help him end the war.

The FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in14714 accordance with UK strategic priorities against the challenging financial climate of COVID. Officials considered any impact on women and girls, the most marginalised and vulnerable, people with disabilities and people from other protected groups, when developing advice to Ministers.

Following a thorough review, the FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against the challenging financial climate of COVID. UK Aid will continue to prioritise humanitarian response and conflict resolution as part of its core priorities for poverty reduction.

The Syria crisis remains one of the UK's top priorities. The ongoing humanitarian crisis, deteriorating economic conditions, and growing food insecurity in Syria, means we must seek more sustainable, long-term solutions to increase the resilience of millions living in conflict. Last month the UK pledged at least £205 million in 2021 to continue providing life-saving and life-sustaining assistance in Syria and across neighbouring countries. This brings our total support to over £3.7 billion since 2012. The FCDO will now work through what this means for individual programmes, in line with the priorities we have outlined.

The Foreign Secretary has outlined via Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament the thematic and regional allocations for FCDO ODA spend. Official Development Assistance budgets for 2021/22, along with final audited spend for 2020/21, will be published in the Annual Report and Accounts in due course.

The Government is committed to doubling UK International Climate Finance (ICF) to £11.6 billion over the next five years. In 2021/22 the UK Government (through the FCDO, BEIS and DEFRA) will spend at least £1.4 billion of ICF.

The allocations for future years will be settled in subsequent Spending Reviews.

The Integrated Review reaffirmed our commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Following a thorough review, the FCDO's aid budget has been allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities, which are closely aligned with the SDGs, against a challenging financial climate of COVID. Officials considered any impact on women and girls, the most marginalised and vulnerable, people with disabilities and people from other protected groups, when developing advice to Ministers.

COVID makes the challenge of achieving the SDGs even harder. Aid cannot do it alone. Mobilisation of domestic resources and private finance is critical, as has always been the case. The UK is demonstrating leadership on the SDGs, as one of the largest donors to the international response tackling COVID-19. And we will use our COP26 and G7 Presidencies this year to reinforce the importance of the SDGs on the global stage.

The Government is committed to doubling UK International Climate Finance to £11.6 billion over the next five years. No final decisions have yet been made on budget allocations.

The Prime Minister announced at the Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December 2020 that the Government will no longer provide any new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, with very limited exemptions. On the same day, CDC Group announced its fossil fuel policy which is fully aligned with HMG's fossil fuel policy.

The UK is firmly committed to Sustainable Development Goal 7 aimed at helping developing countries establish a secure and sustainable energy supply, economic growth and poverty reduction. We do this in a way that supports the UK's climate and environment objectives. Since 2011, the UK International Climate Finance (ICF) has provided 33 million people with improved access to clean energy.

HMG's fossil fuels policy demonstrates the UK's global climate leadership ahead of the UK's COP 26 Presidency. In developing this policy, HMG consulted with civil society, oil and gas majors, SMEs and industry bodies to gather views and evidence which reinforced the importance of the UK taking ambitious and decisive action on climate. However, in doing so, HMG would also ensure that the skilled and dynamic UK energy industry is effectively supported to transition successfully to clean energy export markets. And, in support of SDG 7, there would be few limited exemptions allowed for activities that support health and safety improvements, form part of wider clean energy transitions, decommissioning and humanitarian responses.

CDC has published its complete portfolio of energy investments as held at 31 December 2019 on its website, with details including the start date of each investment and the total amount committed.

For future investments, CDC has published its fossil fuel policy to align with the Government's new approach. The policy excludes the vast majority of fossil fuel sub-sectors including coal, oil and upstream gas exploration and production. Limited exceptions, such as selective gas power investments, are required to demonstrate alignment with a country's pathway to net zero emissions by 2050, amongst other criteria. The stringent criteria applied to such investments is also available on CDC's website.

CDC has invested over $1 billion of climate finance in the past three years, and has set a target for 30% of all new commitments in 2021 to be to climate finance. CDC does not set sector specific investment targets for its future investments. Specific pipeline information is not disclosed as this is commercially sensitive.

While CDC Group (CDC), Private Infrastructure Investment Group (PIDG), International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank (AfDB) are funded by UK ODA, their investments are not solely funded by the UK. Details of CDC, PIDG, IFC and African Development Bank investments in Indorama are available from their websites. Investment into Indorama has helped Nigeria meet its domestic needs for urea fertiliser and plastics as well as shifting the country to be a net exporter.

Further details can be accessed on the respective data portals at www.cdcgroup.com/en/our-impact/search-results/, http://data.pidg.org/, https://disclosures.ifc.org/ and https://mapafrica.afdb.org/en/.

Every investment CDC makes is assessed for its positive development impact using an internationally recognised methodology. In addition to this, through its Code of Responsible Investing, CDC applies rigorous environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards to each investment.

As part of its commitment to Helios Investors IV, CDC has in place legal agreements to ensure that the fund cannot invest in a range of fossil fuel activities, including coal-fired power plants, coal mining, processing and trading, upstream oil and gas exploration and production, midstream oil, oil refineries and HFO only-fired power plants and mini-grids.

The UK invests in the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) to improve access to critical infrastructure services for people in the poorest regions of Africa and Asia. Before approving any investment, PIDG gives due consideration to the environmental impact of projects. This is done through an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of every project. Each investment must comply with PIDG's Environmental, Social, Health and Safety standards, which are based on the internationally recognised International Finance Corporation Environment and Social Performance Standards.

With regards to a project's climate impacts specifically, PIDG only invests in projects which satisfy stringent tests. In 2020, PIDG updated its climate change approach to adopt a new 'Climate Change Standard'. This is in line with the UK Government's policy that it will no longer provide any new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, with the exception of gas in limited circumstances where it is aligned with climate goals. The Tema Energy investment in Ghana is a legacy transaction which pre-dates the PIDG Climate Change Standard. PIDG undertook detailed assessments of the transaction to determine the impact of the project on Ghana's renewable energy targets, decarbonisation of the energy mix and transition risks. This assessment concluded that the project will play an important role in Ghana's transition from oil dependency and improve security of fuel supply to the poorest, with positive economic and net Green House Gas emissions benefits.

The UK is not a member of the Saudi-led coalition. We have an ongoing relationship with Saudi Arabia which includes sharing advice and guidance to support the Saudi military's compliance with International Humanitarian Law and efforts to protect their national security. The UK continues to use all our diplomatic and humanitarian expertise to support UN-led peace efforts to end the conflict and alleviate the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

In 2019, the banks and other financial institutions supported by CDC lent $34 billion to businesses across Africa and South Asia. This economic activity supported the jobs of an estimated 1.88 million workers.

CDC has trade finance facilities with Afrexim Bank ($100 million) and the Trade and Development Bank ($75 million). In addition, CDC has provided three loans to the Trade and Development Bank ($200 million in total). CDC's capital, through both Afrexim and Trade and Development Bank, is enabling trade in critical goods as well as supporting broad economic growth across Africa. In 2010, CDC made an investment commitment to European Financing Partners IV ($32.6 million) which has a small exposure to the Africa Finance Corporation.

CDC was not a party in any funding provided by the listed institutions to the Gisagara power plant.

Information on CDC's portfolio, including new commitments made in 2020, will be made available following publication of its 2020 Annual Review and Annual Accounts in July 2021. CDC's latest Annual Review and Accounts, published in 2020, are available on its website - https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/annual-review-2019/.

The impact of the global pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take the tough but necessary decision to temporarily reduce how much we spend on Official Development Assistance (ODA). We are currently working through the implications of these changes for individual programmes, including for Small Charities Challenge Fund. No decisions have yet been made.

The UK remains fully committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. Everyone has a role to play to achieve them including communities, local government, the private sector, and civil society.

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is reported on a calendar year basis. The FCDO National Statistics publication, 'Statistics on International Development', which is due to be published on 8 April, will provide a breakdown of high-level UK ODA spend for 2020, including the estimate of ODA eligible Gift Aid claimed by international development charities.

ODA eligible Gift Aid is determined by the estimated amount of Gift Aid claimed and then spent by charities on ODA eligible activities. As such, it does not have an allocated budget. ODA eligible Gift Aid spend for 2021 will be published in 'Statistics on International Development' in Spring 2022.

Civil society organisations have a significant role to play in delivering the seven core priorities. We recognise the unique role played by small UK-based international development charities in understanding and connecting with local communities and delivering support to the most marginalised and vulnerable, including during the latest COVID-19 crisis.

We will share further information with civil society organisations to start working through implications of decisions once they are taken, and we intend to work closely with our partners to implement any changes.

The reduction of UN-mandated cross-border aid has made access to essential healthcare services even more difficult for millions across Northern Syria. Only 6% of public hospitals in the north-east are assessed to be fully functioning. In the North West, widespread food insecurity has led to stunted growth for one-third of children, one in nine pregnant women are malnourished, and COVID-19 is further exacerbating ongoing healthcare issues. The current UN cross-border aid mechanism is critical to ensure the successful delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to hard-to-reach populations such as north-west Syria, with other 330,000 vaccines to be distributed via Turkey.

The UK is clear that no other mechanism can replace the scale and scope of the UN operations in northern Syria, and strongly supports the renewal of UNSCR 2533, so that UN operations can continue to meet the needs in North West Syria, avoiding further humanitarian disaster.

To date the UK has committed £548 million to COVAX, to ensure global access to vaccines, and has consistently called other donors to step up their support. Alongside this, the UK is clear that humanitarian partners must have unfettered access to distribute COVID-19 vaccines across the whole of Syria. Cross-border aid mechanisms are critical to ensuring the successful delivery of vaccines to hard-to-reach populations such as north-west Syria where over 2.7 million people remain displaced. Operations from Turkey will distribute over 330,000 vaccines to those most vulnerable.

The UK regularly raises the issue of UN-mandated cross-border access, including most recently on 02 March with Russian authorities, who have twice used their veto to unfairly reduce humanitarian aid access into Syria. The UK also continues to use its position at the UN Security Council and in bilateral discussions to push for greater aid access into Syria and to urge renewal of Resolution 2533. This approach is informed by regular Ministerial and Official consultation with International partners, UN agencies, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, human rights and non-governmental organisations and others, We strongly support the renewal of UNSCR 2533 and are urging members of the UN Security Council to vote in favour of renewing the resolution to avoid further humanitarian disaster.

The Syria Crisis remains one of the UK's top priorities and we will continue to stand by the Syrian people by delivering to those in need, both inside Syria and to refugee hosting countries. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis, having spent over £3.5 billion to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council, relationships with International Partners, UN agencies, human rights and non-governmental organisations and others, to push for greater aid access into Syria and more sustainable, long-term solutions, to increase the resilience of millions living in conflict. The UK's Special Representative for Syria plays an essential role in engaging the international community, to improve the lives of over 13 million people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. The UK's Special Representative is also committed to driving support for a genuine political process to reach a lasting settlement. The UK will continue to engage with and lead the wider international humanitarian response to do the same, including at the fifth Brussels Conference for Syria and the Region.

The FCDO is in the process of rigorous internal prioritisation process in response to the spending review announcement, and we will provide an update on any implications as soon as possible. We are still working through what this means for individual programmes and no decisions have yet been made.

The Syria Crisis remains one of the UK's top priorities and we will continue to stand by the Syrian people by delivering to those in need, both inside Syria and to refugee hosting countries. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis, having spent over £3.5 billion to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council, relationships with International Partners, UN agencies, human rights and non-governmental organisations and others, to push for greater aid access into Syria and more sustainable, long-term solutions, to increase the resilience of millions living in conflict. The UK's Special Representative for Syria plays an essential role in engaging the international community, to improve the lives of over 13 million people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. The UK's Special Representative is also committed to driving support for a genuine political process to reach a lasting settlement. The UK will continue to engage with and lead the wider international humanitarian response to do the same, including at the fifth Brussels Conference for Syria and the Region.

The FCDO is in the process of rigorous internal prioritisation process in response to the spending review announcement, and we will provide an update on any implications as soon as possible. We are still working through what this means for individual programmes and no decisions have yet been made.

As announced last year, the impact of the global pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take the tough but necessary decision to temporarily reduce how much we spend on Official Development Assistance (ODA).We are now working through the implications of these changes for individual programmes. No decisions have yet been made on individual budget allocations.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with international actors, including the UN and other donors, to ensure life-saving humanitarian aid reaches the millions of Yemenis in need. The only sustainable way to protect civilians and bring long-term stability to Yemen is an inclusive political settlement and an end to the conflict.

On 25 February, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan about the Yemen peace process and he has also recently discussed this with US Secretary of State. I discussed Yemen with the Omani Ambassador to the UK on 4 February, and spoke to Yemeni Foreign Minister on 20 January regarding the attack on Aden and the formation of the new cabinet. We fully support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure a lasting political settlement to the Yemen conflict. I spoke with Martin Griffiths on 1 March to discuss how the UK can best support the UN-led peace process.

The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities which will inform FCDO ODA budgets for 2021/22. These are: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. FCDO does not apply conditionality to our aid, except where those conditions are linked to the purpose of the funding at hand (for example in results-based aid funding).

The UK's minimum commitment of £87 million to Yemen for financial year 2021/22 was decided and approved by the Foreign Secretary ahead of the UN Pledging Event on 1 March. This is a floor, not a ceiling. Despite the financial pressures at home, the UK remains a leading donor to Yemen and made the 5th highest pledge at the UN pledging conference. In previous years, the UK has exceeded its announced annual commitment to Yemen in response to developments on the ground.

The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities which will inform FCDO ODA budgets for 2021/22. These are: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. FCDO does not apply conditionality to our aid, except where those conditions are linked to the purpose of the funding at hand (for example in results-based aid funding).

The UK's minimum commitment of £87 million to Yemen for financial year 2021/22 was decided and approved by the Foreign Secretary ahead of the UN Pledging Event on 1 March. This is a floor, not a ceiling. Despite the financial pressures at home, the UK remains a leading donor to Yemen and made the 5th highest pledge at the UN pledging conference. In previous years, the UK has exceeded its announced annual commitment to Yemen in response to developments on the ground.

CDC's fossil fuel policy was published in December 2020. The policy excludes new investment in the vast majority of fossil fuel subsectors, with very limited exceptions. CDC will only consider investments in gas power and related infrastructure if they are aligned with the Paris Agreement and aligned with a country's pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.

Prior to 2021, CDC made investment commitments to two gas power generation projects which are expected to reach financial close in 2021. Both of these projects are in Africa. A small number of the investment funds to which CDC committed prior to the adoption of its fossil fuel policy, in December 2020, may make investments to fossil fuel projects under their existing legal mandates.

Specific pipeline information is not disclosed as this is commercially sensitive.

CDC has invested over $1 billion of climate finance in the past three years and has set a target for 30% of all new commitments in 2021 to be to climate finance.

CDC's policy is aligned with the HMG fossil fuel policy which excludes fossil fuel investments, except under certain circumstances. Any time line for completely stopping gas investments would be dependent on HMG fossil fuel policy.

CDC published a new fossil fuel policy in December 2020, which will be applied to all new commitments. This policy excludes future investment in the vast majority of fossil fuel subsectors including coal, oil and upstream gas exploration and production, with very limited exceptions.

Prior to 2021, CDC made investment commitments to two gas power generation projects which are expected to reach financial close in 2021. Both of these projects are in Africa. A small number of the investment funds to which CDC committed prior to the adoption of its new fossil fuel policy, in December 2020, may make commitments to fossil fuel projects under their existing legal mandates.

Specific pipeline information is not disclosed as this is commercially sensitive.

CDC's policy is aligned with the HMG fossil fuel policy which excludes fossil fuel investments, except under certain circumstances. Any time line for completely stopping gas investments would be dependent on HMG fossil fuel policy.

The Prime Minister announced at the Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December 2020 that the Government will no longer provide any new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, with very limited exemptions. Immediately following the announcement, CDC published its updated fossil fuel policy, which is fully aligned with the Government's approach, and is effective. The policy excludes future investment in the vast majority of fossil fuel subsectors with very limited exceptions. CDC's approach is consistent with the Paris Agreement and requires investments to demonstrate alignment with a country's pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.

Further details on CDC's updated fossil fuel policy are available at: www.cdcgroup.com/en/news-insight/news/announcing-our-new-fossil-fuel-policy-and-guidance-on-natural-gas-power-plants/?fl=true.

Since 2014, the UK has supported replenishments of the African Development Fund (AfDF) as follows:

13th replenishment (2014-16) £604 million of the £4.8 billion total;

14th replenishment (2017-19) £447 million of the £4.3 billion total;

15th replenishment (2020-22) £620 million of the £6.0 billion total.

The 16th replenishment is expected to be agreed in 2022.

Between 2014 and 2020 two AfDF projects with fossil fuel components have been approved by the Bank's Board, with a total value of £71 million. One relates to the installation of a generator for a diesel-powered power plant and the other to improving transmission from an existing gas power plant. No AfDF support has been provided for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project. Future AfDF projects have yet to be agreed with country governments and the Bank's Board. The Bank is preparing a new climate change and green growth policy, due to be published in late 2021. We are engaging with this process with the aim of further limiting the Bank's support for fossil fuel projects, in line with the UK's recently announced policy.

Since 2014, the UK has supported replenishments of the African Development Fund (AfDF) as follows:

13th replenishment (2014-16) £604 million of the £4.8 billion total;

14th replenishment (2017-19) £447 million of the £4.3 billion total;

15th replenishment (2020-22) £620 million of the £6.0 billion total.

The 16th replenishment is expected to be agreed in 2022.

Between 2014 and 2020 two AfDF projects with fossil fuel components have been approved by the Bank's Board, with a total value of £71 million. One relates to the installation of a generator for a diesel-powered power plant and the other to improving transmission from an existing gas power plant. No AfDF support has been provided for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project. Future AfDF projects have yet to be agreed with country governments and the Bank's Board. The Bank is preparing a new climate change and green growth policy, due to be published in late 2021. We are engaging with this process with the aim of further limiting the Bank's support for fossil fuel projects, in line with the UK's recently announced policy.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Syria's budget allocation for financial year 2021/22 will be confirmed when the details of the Government's Spending Review are finalised.

The UK has been one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis since 2011. To date, we have committed over £3.3 billion in response to the Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We will continue to support the Syrian people affected by the brutality of the Assad regime and we will continue to honour our commitment to support the Syrian people through humanitarian aid and pursuing accountability for the most serious crimes committed in Syria.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Syria's budget allocation for financial year 2021/22 will be confirmed when the details of the Government's Spending Review are finalised.

The UK has been one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis since 2011. To date, we have committed over £3.3 billion in response to the Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We will continue to support the Syrian people affected by the brutality of the Assad regime and we will continue to honour our commitment to support the Syrian people through humanitarian aid and pursuing accountability for the most serious crimes committed in Syria.

The Government has discussed arrangements with the EU for UK nationals travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU has consistently maintained that UK nationals will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. UK nationals will only be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation.

UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. This may require applying for a visa and/or permit. Information about travel to Europe after the transition period is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021

The G20 Leaders' Summit agenda has yet to be finalised. It is likely to focus on health, the global economic recovery and climate change. The UK continues to raise the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen in multiple multilateral fora.

The UK is concerned by the continued demolitions of Palestinian structures by Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We have made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Between 2015 and 2019, around eight per cent of West Bank Protection Consortium (WBPC) structures were demolished or seized by the Israeli authorities. The UK continues to fund the WBPC, and has provided a total of £1.9 million to the WBPC and its activities since 2018. Our legal aid programme supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The UK is seriously concerned by the possible demolition of a Palestinian school in Ras Al-Tin by Israeli authorities. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concern with the Government of Israel on 13 October, alongside European partners. Officials also visited the school on 16 October. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We recognise that Palestinians face severe difficulty in securing building permissions for homes and infrastructure in East Jerusalem and Area C. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

The UK is concerned by the continued demolition of Palestinian property, including schools, by Israeli authorities. In a joint statement on 16 October, the UK, alongside France, Germany, Spain and Italy, urged Israel to halt its policy of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv also raised this issue with the Government of Israel on 13 October, alongside European partners. We keep the case for compensation under review but the UK is focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The right to education is a basic right, and it is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities for the next generation. This is why the UK is committed to providing support to education workers in the West Bank, and UNRWA education in the West Bank and Gaza.

The UK is concerned by the continued demolitions of Palestinian structures by Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We have made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. The UK is focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UK and international partners will continue to call bilaterally, and in international fora, for Israel to cease demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C. No funds have been deducted from EU-Israel bilateral support. We have consulted a number of EU and West Bank Protection Consortium partners on the issue of compensation. They share our concerns. We are keeping the case for compensation under review.

We remain deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of the FSO SAFER oil tanker. The Foreign Secretary raised the tanker's dire condition, which poses an environmental, economic and humanitarian threat to Yemen and the region, during the P5+ High Level Ministerial meeting on 17 September. The Houthis urgently need to grant access to the tanker so that the UN can inspect the vessel and carry out any much needed repair work. The UK is working with the UN and other donors to ensure the mission proceeds and that comprehensive UN contingency plans are in place should a leak occur.

The FSO SAFER oil tanker remains is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. The Foreign Secretary raised the tanker's dire condition, which poses an environmental, economic and humanitarian threat to Yemen and the region, during the P5+ High Level Ministerial meeting on 17 September that he co-hosted with his Swedish, German and Kuwaiti counterparts. The Group agreed a Joint Communique - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/joint-communique-on-the-conflict-in-yemen - which called on the Houthis to urgently facilitate unconditional and safe access for UN experts to conduct an assessment and repair mission. The UK is also working with the UN and other donors to ensure there is enough funding in place for that mission to proceed and that comprehensive UN contingency plans are in place should a leak occur.

Following an internal review and prioritisation exercise of all Overseas Development Aid spending, we have not planned cuts to proposed total spend in the OPTs for financial year 2020/2021. This is £71.4m as per the DFID annual report published in July 2020.

The UK committed £160 million in new aid for Yemen for the current financial year (2020/21) at the 2020 Yemen Humanitarian Pledging Conference on 2 June.

We have every intention of meeting our commitment and have already disbursed 60 per cent of our £160 million funding for this year. We will continue to disburse funding quickly to ensure our partners have the resources to continue delivering assistance.

Support to the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) will be maintained by FCDO Ethiopia via the 'Programme Addressing Irregular, Unsafe Migration through and from Ethiopia' until April 2023, and by FCDO Sudan via the 'Routes Based Migration Response Programme' until October 2021. Funding under the centrally-managed 'Safety, Support and Solutions Phase 2' programme, which ends in March 2021, has been reduced by approximately 10 per cent. This cut was discussed and agreed with MMC and their partners.

This financial year (2020/21) the Government budgeted £137 million for delivery of aid in Syria as a part of the UK's Syria Crisis Response. Difficult decisions have been necessary around the ODA budget to make sure we meet the 0.7 per cent commitment, however the UK continues to play a leading role in mobilising the international community.

At the Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" in June, the UK pledged at least £300 million to the Syria Crisis for 2020, bringing our total commitment to over £3.3 billion since 2012. This support will continue the essential life-saving and life-sustaining assistance in Syria and provide vital support in neighbouring countries.

In the financial year 2020/21 the UK has contributed £41.9 million through the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT), to support Turkey help meet the needs of refugees and their host communities. This forms part of the UK's Syria Crisis Response. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to meet direct contribution commitments to the FRIT for the duration of the programme with no cuts to the programme's proposed spend.

Programme plans for the delivery of £639.2 million ODA funding in the Middle East and North Africa were published in financial year 2020/21. This figure excludes Conflict, Stability and Security Funds.

Revised ODA allocations for 2020/21 will be published by HM Treasury at Autumn Budget. The Statistics for International Development published in 2021 will provide a full breakdown of the UK's ODA spend for 2020.

We welcome US statements that these new sanctions are targeted and humanitarian exemptions continue to apply. As such, we do not believe that they should impact current negotiations regarding UN Security Council Resolution 2504. The renewal is a matter for the UN Security Council and the UK continues to be vocal on the need for cross-border aid into both north-west and north-east Syria.

The UK strongly supports the re-authorisation of the Al Yaroubiyah border crossing to allow humanitarian aid into north-east Syria. As outlined in the UN Secretary General's report of February 2020, this remains the best route through which to deliver aid cross-border into north-east Syria. We have set out our position repeatedly at the UN Security Council, mostly recently on 19 May. The Foreign Secretary has raised this with his Russian, German and French counterparts and senior officials have discussed this with the other Security Council members including Belgium and China.

The UK strongly supports the re-authorisation of the Al Yaroubiyah border crossing to allow humanitarian aid into north-east Syria. As outlined in the UN Secretary General's report of February 2020, this remains the best route through which to deliver aid cross-border into north-east Syria. We have set out our position repeatedly at the UN Security Council, mostly recently on 19 May. The Foreign Secretary has raised this with his Russian, German and French counterparts and senior officials have discussed this with the other Security Council members including Belgium and China.

The UK is strongly committed to the renewal of UNSCR 2504 to enable continued cross-border humanitarian access into Syria. We have expressed this position repeatedly at the UN Security Council, mostly recently at the Syria Humanitarian session on 19 May, and have also engaged bilaterally with other Security Council members on this issue. Negotiations remain ongoing ahead of the expiry of the current resolution in July.