Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he will take to ensure that Official Development Assistance spend by his Department prioritises poverty reduction.

Ministers are fully committed to prioritising poverty reduction, and its drivers. By way of reassurance, this year's necessary reduction in ODA spending protected work on poverty reduction for the 'bottom billion'; tackling climate change and reversing biodiversity loss; championing girls' education; UK leadership in the global response to COVID-19, and campaigning on issues such as media freedom and freedom of religious belief, ensuring that the UK is a global force for good. We also sought to protect the UK's science and research and development base.