Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed reduction in Official Development Assistance on ongoing and planned UK aid programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UK remains a committed development partner of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As one of the largest bilateral donors to the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are providing life-saving assistance to 3 million people, as well as supporting basic health and education services, improving the environment for business, increasing people's incomes, and strengthening stability and governance.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on aid to 0.5% of GNI. We will remain a world-leading Official Development Assistance donor and still spend more than £10 billion this year to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health.