Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of planned changes to the level of future spending on official development assistance on programmes supporting women smallholder farmers.

The Government recognises the important role women smallholder farmers play in agrifood systems in developing countries, and that investing in women and girls and breaking down the barriers they face supports inclusive development. Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way.

We plan to publish final Financial Year 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts this summer.