Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on developing countries of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of DFID’s work is not done via the EU. We remain committed to spending 0.7% of our national income on development assistance, and to achieving the UN’s Global Goals and ending extreme poverty by 2030. In the future, we want to be able to focus collaboration on geographical and thematic areas where we believe development is most needed: the poorest countries, primarily in Africa and Asia. Since the referendum in June 2016 we have been continually assessing the possible impacts of EU Exit on development cooperation. DFID is prepared for all scenarios, including the unlikely event of no deal, and will continue to work towards meeting these commitments whatever the outcome of the negotiations.