Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the merger of his Department with the Department for International Development on the Government't ability to support (a) vulnerable people abroad and (b) the 4th Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring a high quality education for all.

The creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has united our world class diplomacy and development expertise into one department. This, alongside reforms to how aid is spent across government, will ensure we bring together the best of Britain's international effort. Our aid budget will continue to serve the primary aim of reducing poverty in developing countries, and the merger enables us to do this in a more influential, coherent, and impactful way.

This applies in the case of UK leadership on SDG 4, and girls' education. Through our combined diplomatic levers, and development expertise and experience, FCDO is rallying the global community to step up its commitment in this area, including through our G7 Presidency and co-hosting of the financing summit for the Global Partnership for Education.