Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his policy that the new Conflict, Stability and Security Fund will be used only for non-military peacebuilding efforts; and if he will make a statement.

Helping to build peace and security in a fragile or conflict-affected state is difficult and complex. The Government draws on the most effective combination of defence, diplomacy, development assistance, security and intelligence to achieve the National Security Council’s priorities and long-term goals on conflict, stability and security. The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund will be a mix of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA resources which will allow for a range of interventions, including security sector reform, peace keeping support and upstream capacity building which are crucial to building stability and paving the way for sustainable peace.