Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effects on her Department's aid programme in Nepal of the formation of the new government in that country.

As part of the new planning cycle for the Department for International Development my office in Nepal has made a thorough assessment of the expected effects on the Department’s aid programme of the formation of the new government following elections in November 2013.

Accordingly we have shifted our aid programme towards creating the enabling environment for inclusive economic growth including an increased focus on jobs, infrastructure and local development, strengthening effective government including public financial management and anti-corruption measures, and continuing to strengthen the quality and targeting of service delivery. We have increased our focus on mitigating the risks of climate change and inequality so that economic and social gains are safeguarded.