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 impact of reductions in the Official Development Assistance budget on his Department’s ability to tackle hunger and famine.

The UK economy is facing the worst economic contraction in over 300 years. Our borrowing is the highest it has been outside of wartime. Against this backdrop, we have been forced to prioritise public spending, including temporarily reducing the ODA spend from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. FCDO allocates our aid budget in accordance with UK strategic priorities, and to remain a force for good across the world. Our aid is targeted at the highest priority global challenges and the Foreign Secretary has been clear that poverty reduction remains at the heart of UK ODA.

The number of people requiring humanitarian assistance this year is at a record high, with acute food insecurity and malnutrition also rising. Preventing famine is a key priority for FCDO, as evidenced by the launch of the Foreign Secretary's Call to Action in September 2020. But this is not only about money. It is also about diplomatic action, smarter financing and more effective responses to crises. The UK will combine our funding with our diplomatic strength and world-leading aid expertise to protect people across the world from increasing risk of famine.