Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce income and wealth inequality in partner countries.

Reducing inequality is central to DFID’s work through its mission to eradicate extreme poverty. The UK played a major role in negotiating the 2030 Global Goals and will be at the forefront of delivering them, including Goal 10 on reducing inequalities.

The evidence is clear that delivering on the UN’s 2030 Agenda will require higher and more inclusive growth that spreads benefits across society, notably for women and girls and other excluded groups. Through supporting the poorest in partner countries, DFID is helping to reduce inequalities within them, whilst also generating faster growth that can help to close inequality gaps between countries. UK support to building human capital - for example through education, health, nutrition and social protection programmes - works to prevent entrenched poverty and expand access to opportunity.