Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to reverse the declining trend in Official Development Assistance spending on education.

Between 2009 and 2018 DFID’s spend on education doubled from almost £500 million to nearly £1 billion. The Prime Minister has publicly stated that education, particularly girls’ education, is a priority for the UK. He announced £90 million for education in emergencies and protracted crisis including £85 million to Education Cannot Wait at the G7 Summit, and last week the UK announced a £515 million package of support for education, including a £300 million pledge for the new International Finance Facility for Education. In total, these announcements will support 6.3 million girls. Alongside our commitment to the Global Partnership for Education, the UK is now the leading bilateral donor to all three major multilateral education funds and continues to be one of the leading bilateral donors to basic education. At the UN General Assembly last week, the UK has been calling for others to step up and follow our lead.