Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 631, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce official development assistance on future Government funding for UNWRA.

Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million this financial year to UNRWA to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. The UK is clear that UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering essential services and humanitarian assistance, as well as enabling the broader international response in Gaza through its logistics and distribution network. As with all Official Development Assistance spend, new allocations provided to delivery partners, including UNRWA, will be announced in the usual way. The Prime Minister made clear in the House on 25 February that this Government is proud of the UK's pioneering record on overseas development, and we will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Gaza.