Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any girls' education programmes have been (a) paused, (b) undergone budget reductions and (c) ceased as a result of the £2.9 billion projected reduction in the Official Development Assistance budget in 2020.

Championing 12 years of quality education for all girls is a top priority for this Government and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. As the effects of the COVID-19 crisis play out, the socio-economic impact on girls has become increasingly clear and the focus on girls' education across the world is more important than ever.

Difficult decisions have been necessary to identify the savings needed to ensure we meet the 0.7 per cent Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment this year. As a result, some programme spend for this financial year has been reduced or deferred. The Foreign Secretary chaired a review process across government looking at all strands of the ODA budget, evaluating the impacts of spend and making sure the UK can maintain operational capacity. This process has made sure there continues to be support and commitment to ODA priorities, including girls' education long term.