Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence of the Prime Minister at the Liaison Committee on the 24 of March 2021, whether the budget for the IRC family planning programme in Sierra Leone will be reduced in the 2021-22 financial year.

Due to the severe impact of the pandemic on the UK economy, the Government has made the difficult decision to temporarily reduce the UK's aid budget. The Prime Minister has made clear our intention to return to 0.7 per cent when the fiscal position allows.

Final decisions on individual programmes and activities have not yet been made. Our Heads of Mission will receive notice of their country-level settlement once Ministers have taken those decisions. Programme delivery partners will be informed of any implications for their programmes as soon as possible. Although we are having to make difficult decisions, our commitment to women and girls remains strong - including, as the Prime Minister said, co-hosting a girls education summit next year.