Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the announcement by the Prime Minister at the G7 leaders' meeting on 19 February 2021, whether the donation of the UK’s surplus covid-19 vaccine doses to COVAX will result in the UK spending more than 0.5 per cent of GNI as Official Development Assistance in 2021.

As noted, the Prime Minister announced on 19 February that the majority of any surplus COVID-19 vaccines would be shared with the COVAX international vaccine procurement pool. We cannot yet say when we will have a surplus, including because of uncertainty over how many doses will be needed to deal with new variants or to administer boosters. Funding mechanisms, including the implications for our commitment to spend 0.5% of GNI as Official Development Assistance in 2021, will be set out in more detail if and when a surplus has been identified.