Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 239838 on Department for International Development: Secondment, what specific projects or programmes have been slowed or paused in the coming year in order to support the EU exit related resource requirements of other government departments.

In light of the agreed extension of Article 50, DFID staff who have been deployed to other government departments to support EU Exit planning will return as soon as possible.

To release staff for deployment, DFID undertook a prioritisation exercise to review delivery plans guided by the core principle that essential business (delivering the 0.7% commitment and providing lifesaving humanitarian response) was protected.

DFID did not stop any programmes. Some internal corporate controls were relaxed, and new policy work and cross-Whitehall and international engagement were slowed, however this was temporary as a direct result of deployments. This work will be recommenced as staff return from their deployments.