Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to deliver efficiency savings in his Department in (a) this financial year, (b) 2025-26 and (c) future financial years.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has made efficiency savings in this financial year through initiatives outlined in the Government Efficiency Framework. This framework was agreed between the FCDO and HMT during the 2021 Spending Review, and set out efficiency targets of £84.8 million to meet by the end of 2024-25. This was increased to £86.8 million during the 2023 Spending Review. The FCDO has met this target.

To help drive out waste and ensure all funding is focused on the Government's priorities, the FCDO plans to achieve future efficiency savings through digital innovation, workforce optimisation and corporate process reform.