Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allocating funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes for (a) education, (b) climate change resilience, (c) gender equality, (d) economic development and (e) political stability.

The UK is committed to defending and promoting universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and supports a wide range of investments to achieve this. We know that these are fundamental to unlocking the potential, agency and freedom of women and girls around the world - underpinning progress on gender equality, health, education, economic opportunities, climate resilience and stability. Realising sexual and reproductive health and rights means that women and girls can make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures. It means that girls can complete their education and take up better jobs, which in turn boosts global prosperity, stability and resilience of individuals and communities to better handle climate change shocks and contribute to climate solutions.