Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 December (HL12825), whether they have undertaken a study of the merits of the UK joining the European Development Bank; if so (1) when this was, and (2) whether a report of the study was laid before Parliament; and if not, why not.

No such study has been commissioned under the current Government, and it would not be appropriate for me to ask officials what advice, if any, was provided under the previous administration.