Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes they have made to their list of prioritised countries where (1) risks were perceived to be high, (2) United Kingdom interests were most at stake, and (3) it was known the United Kingdom could have most impact, since the Building Stability Overseas Strategy was published in July 2011.

There have been many changes since the establishment of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy in 2010 as the process of determining priorities is dynamic to reflect global realities.

The National Security Council has agreed a range of country and regional strategies, and annually agrees funding allocations under the Conflict Stability and Security Fund.

This prioritisation process takes into account risks of instability, UK interests and the potential impact of activities. Beyond the annual exercise, allocations and priority countries are continually under review to enable the Government to respond more effectively to new cases of conflict and instability.