Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Official Development Assistance budgets for 2021 will be for (a) climate and biodiversity, (b) covid and global health security, (c) girls’ education, (d) science and research, (e) defending open societies and resolving conflict, (f) humanitarian assistance and g) promoting trade.

The Foreign Secretary set out to the House of Commons on 26 November how a new strategic approach will allow us to drive greater impact from our £10 billion of ODA spending next year, notwithstanding the difficult financial pressures faced.

Budgets will be allocated based on this strategy as well as considerations of need including levels of poverty, ability of countries to fund themselves and to ensure that every pound we spend on ODA goes as far as possible and has greatest impact the UK could help achieve. Internal planning is underway to deliver these objectives.