Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to assess the potential effect on developing countries of the UK's future relationship with the EU.

Leaving the EU does not change the UK’s commitment to supporting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Nor does it mean the UK and EU have stopped working together to alleviate global poverty and tackle shared global challenges. The UK frequently works alongside a range of development partners where we have a shared common goal.

As a Member State, the UK spent approximately 10% of all Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the EU each year. Going forward we will be able to make our own decisions about where, when and how we invest that money. Ministers will take decisions on ODA funding through normal departmental processes and bids to the Spending Review, in line with the conclusions of the Integrated Review. The Government remains committed to the 0.7% ODA/GNI target.

We will also continue to ensure development and global prosperity are at the heart of UK trade and investment policy. For example, we will look to improving our trade preferences scheme to create more trading opportunities for around 70 developing countries. We will also continue to work on integrating development interests into UK trade policy including in Free Trade Agreements.