Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance was due to be transferred to the CDC in 2020 before the announced reduction of £2.9bn in the aid budget; and how much will be transferred to the CDC following that announcement.

ODA prioritisation has ensured we remain prioritised on poverty reduction for the 'bottom billion', as well as tackling climate change and reversing biodiversity loss, championing girls' education, UK leadership in the global response to COVID-19, and campaigning on issues such as media freedom and freedom of religious belief

The Government originally planned at the start of the year to invest £1,134 million Official Development Assistance (ODA) into CDC in 2020. Following the ODA prioritisation process, the Government decided to invest £650 million into CDC, which is 42% less ODA than initially projected. The FCDO have worked carefully with CDC to re-prioritise its investment activities this year in response to the challenges of COVID-19. The capital invested by the Government is focused on ensuring that CDC continues to take a targeted response that preserves, strengthens and helps rebuild economies across Africa and South Asia to mitigate the economic and health impacts of COVID-19.