Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it remains his policy to increase Official Development Assisstance spend on R&D from £600 million in 2021-22 to £1 billion in 2024-25.

The International Development Strategy is clear that ODA Research & Development (R&D) is critical to tackling poverty and addressing the major challenges facing the world. In March 2023, the UK published its International Technology Strategy, which sets out how we will develop technology solutions to global challenges through investment in mission-driven R&D. ODA R&D allocations for 24/25 will be announced in due course, but I [Minister Mitchell] can confirm that the UK's total direct funding for R&D will reach £20 billion a year by 2024/25 as planned. This is a cash increase of around a third compared to 2021/22, and the largest ever increase over an spending review period.