Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to rebuild development capacity once the commitment to a target spending of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income for Official Development Assistance is restored.

The FCDO continues to maintain its development capability, and is focusing its learning and development efforts to ensure that it has the right people with the right capabilities working on the highest priorities. The launch of the FCDO removed outdated and artificial distinctions between diplomacy and overseas development. The successes of COP26, the Global Education Summit, and the UK's G7 Presidency, all show the value of integrating development and diplomatic expertise to deliver for the UK.

The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7% of GNI on official development assistance (ODA) when the fiscal situation allows and has provided a clear measure for this. The two key tests are (1) When we are not borrowing to support day-to-day spending; (2) When underlying debt is falling. Improving economic forecasts show that HMG may meet its test to return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA in the final year of this Spending Review.