Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the UNICEF reports (1) Fighting the Odds, Catalyzing Change: A Strategic Approach to Ending the Global Problem of Child Marriage, published in September 2022, and (2) Ending Child Marriage: A profile of progress in Bangladesh, published in October 2020, that 51 per cent of girls in Bangladesh marry before the age of 18; and what plans they have to provide funding to ensure that underage girls in that country are protected and able to complete their education.

UK aid in Bangladesh tackles the root causes and consequences of child marriage. Through our recently concluded Excluded People's Rights in Bangladesh programme, we supported a range of civil society organisations that worked to raise awareness of child marriage to students, parents and communities. As a result of our support, 15,000 child marriages were stopped. The programme also helped enrol over 900 girls back to school. Going forward, through the UN Global Programme to End Child Marriage, the UK is also supporting girls at risk of child marriage in Bangladesh. We have helped 48,500 girls to continue their education and will invest up to £54.5 million over eight years (2022-2029) to improve girls' retention in education.