Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase state capacity for the Government of Somalia.

The UK is a longstanding partner of Somalia. As debt relief champion, we are working to reduce Somalia's debt burden, unlocking finance for service delivery. We have supported customs revenue collection and helped build public resource management systems. The UK is the third largest humanitarian and a major health donor in Somalia. We have provided over £1 billion in support since 2016. We are a major security partner, working with others to counter al-Shabaab, build capacity and support the transition to Somali-led security. On a recent visit to Somalia I [Minister Mitchell] met President Hassan Sheikh, and we discussed the UK's ongoing support to Somalia's security and prosperity.