Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK budget reductions to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency on (a) maternal deaths, (b) child deaths, (c) unintended pregnancies and (d) unsafe abortions.

The impact of the pandemic on the UK economy forced us to take tough decisions. Global health remains a priority and we continue to be a major investor. The Foreign Secretary has committed to prioritising ODA funding levels for women and girls, and the UK remains strongly committed to championing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally. This is demonstrated through the UK's recent payment of £60 million to the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Supplies Partnership Programme for financial year April 2022 - April 2023.

Comprehensive SRHR (including safe abortion) is a central pillar to achieving the UK Government's manifesto commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children by 2030. On 14 December 2021, we published the Ending Preventable Deaths of Mothers, Babies and Children Approach Paper: our strategy to strengthen countries' own ability to deliver life-saving maternal, and child health services.