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 potential effect of the reduction in Official Development Assistance funding on the effectiveness of programmes providing safe passage and support for refugee and displaced persons.

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.