Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they paid £19 million to the ARK Group DMCC based in Dubai; and if so, why.

ARK Group have delivered UK-funded programmes across the Middle East through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and the Global Britain Fund (now International Programme Fund). We have not been able to identify the specific payment of £19m based on the information provided. However, since 2016-17 ARK have worked on over 20 projects for the FCO and received c.£25m of funding for these projects.

ARK's work for the FCO includes projects aimed at improving security stabilisation and communications in Lebanon; improving Security Sector Reform in Jordan; tackling sexual and gender-based violence in Syria; providing support to Syrian voices and civil society; and improving Community Resilience and Peacebuilding in Yemen.