Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the number of programmes with gender equality as an (a) principle and (b) objective that will have their funding reduced or terminated in response to the reduced Official Development Assistance budget in financial year 2020-21; and if she will publish that assessment.

The UK is committed to spending 0.7% of GNI on development, which is enshrined in law. This means the aid budget increases when the UK economy grows and decreases if the economy shrinks. Given the expected fall in Gross National Income this year, aid spending is under review across all departments. No decision has been taken. We are considering the full range of our work.

Whatever the final outcome of the 2020/21 financing discussions, advancing gender equality and women’s rights will remain a priority for this government.