Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of 13 June 2023 from the Minister for Development and Africa to the Chair of the International Development Committee on the provisional statistics on international development for 2022, whose responsibility it is to train Government Departments on how to administer Official Development Assistance.

Departments are responsible for assessing their own Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligibility of spend, correctly administering and reporting ODA. Rules on ODA-eligibility are set by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC), which FCDO consult as required. The FCDO provides assistance and guidance to departments, particularly on the ODA rules and reporting requirements, to ensure compliance with DAC criteria and the standards set by the UK's Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Every year, all government departments spending ODA are invited to a working level ODA learning day, delivered by the FCDO. The sessions cover the ODA rules, managing the UK's ODA commitment and reporting in line with the ODA rules.

In addition, the FCDO provides targeted support and advice to departments throughout the year as required.