Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to pledge funds to the Global Partnership for Education before the forthcoming G7 summit; what plans they have to make representations to foreign governments to pledge funds to the Global Partnership for Education; and what plans they have to meet (1) the Send my Friend to School coalition, or (2) other civil society organisations, to discuss the pledging of funds to the Global Partnership for Education.

The UK has placed girls' education, and broader gender equality at the heart of our G7 Presidency. We have set out two ambitious global objectives to get 40 million more girls into school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years. We are using our G7 Presidency to rally others in getting behind these objectives, and stand up for every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.

A well-funded GPE will be central to delivering these global objectives, especially in securing education financing from developing countries' domestic budgets. We are looking forward to hosting the Global Education Summit to refinance GPE with the Government of Kenya in July. Outreach to foreign governments about pledges to GPE is in hand, and we are in regular dialogue with civil society organisations, including the Send My Friend to School coalition. Details of the UK's next contribution to GPE will be announced in due course.