Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reduction of the foreign aid budget on levels of food poverty in affected countries.

The UK has been a leading donor in food and agriculture. Our agriculture portfolio pursues the dual objective set out in our Agriculture Development Policy of promoting food security while helping smallholders to benefit from increased incomes. The FCDO Food Security Action plan seeks to prevent famine and limit its impacts, focussing on countries most at risk with humanitarian assistance and resilience - building British Investment Partnerships. It also aims to ensure a coherent and effective international response to the food security crisis, including through a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable. The International Development Strategy reiterates our commitment to develop lasting solutions to challenges in the food system. The FCDO is also developing a sustained crisis and policy response for this and coming years; and accelerating the long-term transition to a sustainable and resilient global food system.

Despite recent fiscal pressures caused by the pandemic, the UK Government remains a leading donor, spending more than £11 billion in aid in 2021. We are prioritising spending that protects against immediate threats to life and wellbeing and action that prevents people falling into humanitarian need. The UK will return to its 0.7 per cent Offcial Development Assistance commitment as soon as the situation allows.