Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the reduction, expressed in pounds sterling, of the proposed cuts to the development budget; and by what amount, expressed as a penny in the pound increase, would the basic rate of income tax have to be raised to fund a deferment of these cuts for 2025–2026 while still funding the increase to the defence budget.

The UK will step up to safeguard collective security on an enduring basis by increasing defence investment to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. Our increase in defence spending will be funded by reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI. Precise allocations will be determined as part of the Spending Review process. The government has committed to not increase taxes on working people, which means it will not increase their income tax, National Insurance Contributions, or VAT.