Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has paused funding decisions for new projects and programmes in the Global South not directly related to tackling the covid-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption across the world from direct health impacts caused by the virus itself, and indirect effects caused by the response, including on economies, livelihoods and education. We have so far pledged up to £764 million of UK aid, tackling the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating both its primary and secondary impacts.

Funding decisions are taken on an ongoing basis. We are reviewing our programming to ensure UK aid is spent as effectively as possible to help the world’s poorest. DFID will continue to deliver projects directly related to tackling the coronavirus pandemic but also many projects related to other development issues.