Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has (a) recently had and (b) plans to have with her international counterparts on the percentage of gross national income each of their countries contributes towards global efforts to eradicate poverty.

After taking office on 9 Nov, the Secretary of State is considering opportunities to engage with her international counterparts, including strategic dialogues on development with several of them in the New Year.

While it is for other governments to decide what percentage of gross national income (GNI) to allocate as Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Secretary of State will highlight the importance the UK Government places on meeting the international commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI as ODA. She will make clear the vital role that international development activity plays in tackling global challenges such as mass migration and disease, as well as helping the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.