Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure funding for covid-19 research is not affected by reductions to the Official Development Assistance budget.

The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.

BEIS is working with its delivery partners to implement the R&D ODA settlement for financial year 21/22. This work looks to protect the most impactful research programmes, with prioritisation driven by the Government’s Strategic Framework for ODA. The Framework includes priorities to tackle climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls’ education; science and research; open societies and conflict; humanitarian assistance; and trade.