Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to support (a) access to and (b) legislation protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights internationally, in the context of Official Development Assistance negotiations between the US and (i) low and (ii) middle-income countries.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 23 January 2025 to Question HL3786, which is reproduced below for ease of reference:

The empowerment of women and girls is a top priority for the UK government, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are key to this. When women and girls around the world are able to have control over their lives and their own bodies, they can avoid a life of early, multiple and often dangerous pregnancies and births, and instead complete their education, take up better economic opportunities and fulfil their potential. The UK therefore prioritises bodily autonomy and the rights of women and girls in the development of SRHR policies, in line with the Guttmacher-Lancet integrated definition of comprehensive SRHR for all.