Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what effect the covid-19 pandemic has had on her Department's planned budget for supporting developing countries in tackling future pandemic outbreaks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of building strong and resilient systems to protect people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, against risks including health threats.

During the current pandemic, we want to ensure that any new investments we make to respond to COVID-19, also help to build back stronger systems in the longer term, including for health, nutrition, water and sanitation. At the same time, we are keeping a focus on our long-term investments to strengthen and scale up crisis response and preparedness systems through technical assistance and financial support directly to countries, through supporting the multilateral system, including the development banks, the World Health Organization, global health initiatives and other agencies to provide technical assistance and programmes, as well as funding research and development to increase access and reduce prices for new and existing essential health commodities.