Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on (a) producers and (b) workers in developing countries.

DFID is working closely with other governmental departments in taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared for a no deal outcome, to ensure we will be able to meet our development objectives in all scenarios. We remain committed to spending 0.7% of our national income on development assistance.

The UK is preparing for a range of possible scenarios to maintain existing trading relationships, and our Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act enables the UK to put in place a UK trade preferences scheme for developing countries. As the UK exits the EU, we will seek to replicate the effects of the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements, which are development-focused trade deals with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.