Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in the overseas development budget on his ability to fulfil his responsibilities in complying with the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014.

Promoting gender equality and advancing women and girls' rights around the world is a priority for the UK Government, and the UK's Gender Equality Act 2014 requires Ministers to have regard to the need to provide assistance in a way which reduces gender inequality before providing overseas development funding and this continues to apply. This is evidenced by our co-hosting of the Global Partnership for Education replenishment, a focus on gender at COP26 and the UK's G7 Presidency, which places gender equality at the centre of our COVID-19 response and recovery.

During the 2021/22 ODA allocation process, the FCDO considered risks and impacts to inform advice to Ministers and an overarching Equalities Impact Assessment analysed impacts across bilateral country spend. The FCDO will continue to champion gender equality and women's rights because that's the only way we will create a fairer, safer and more prosperous world.