Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Official Development Assistance Budget

Tuesday 13 May 2025 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government committed to maintaining value for money and impact in ODA spending.
  • Engagement with World Bank and other international institutions continues to leverage UK development spend.
  • Women and girls remain a priority in ODA programming, with equality impact assessments guiding decisions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Damian Hinds Con East Hampshire
Foreign Affairs
Context

The planned reduction of the official development assistance budget in 2027 has raised concerns about funding for specific programmes.

Question

Which development programmes will the Government maintain funding for after the planned reduction of the official development assistance budget in 2027?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government are resolutely committed to development but must do it differently. We will ensure the aid budget delivers value for money and has impact globally. Supporting and growing economies will be at the heart of how we spend ODA going forward, and further decisions on the ODA budget, including specific programmes, are subject to the spending review and resource allocation processes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify which development programmes will maintain funding after 2027.

How: Working Differently, Subject To Spending Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Damian Hinds Con East Hampshire
Foreign Affairs
Context

The planned reduction of the official development assistance budget in 2027 has raised concerns about funding effectiveness.

Question

These severely constrained budgets call for thinking smarter, not simply smaller, so what work are the Government doing with the World Bank and other international institutions to make sure that UK development spend is fully leveraged so that every penny is as effective as possible?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to engage closely with our partners at the World Bank and other multilateral development institutions. Multilateral co-operation allows a global scale of investment and delivery that outstrips what countries can achieve alone. We are also looking at other ways, including through British International Investment and other bodies, so we are going to look across the board and multilaterally to increase our impact.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details on current work being done with international institutions.

How: Engaging Closely, Looking At Other Ways

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Alice Macdonald Labour (Co-op) Norwich North
Women & Equalities
Context

The International Development (Gender Equality) Act requires due regard to spending aid in a way that contributes to gender equality.

Question

Following on from the earlier question, will the Minister confirm that supporting women and girls is a ministerial priority and that we will continue funding vital programmes that support women and girls in many areas?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Women and girls will remain at the heart of our programming. Equality impact assessments are an essential part of how we make decisions on ODA allocations. I can assure my hon. Friend that equality impact assessments are an essential part of how we make decisions on ODA allocations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm specific funding for women's programmes post-budget reduction.

How: Remain At The Heart, Equality Impact Assessments

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 Andrew Mitchell Con Sutton Coldfield
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Minister has engaged on Gavi's work for a long time.

Question

Will the Minister ensure that Britain properly replenishes Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and will he remember that polling shows 83% of our constituents think this is a brilliant use of taxpayers’ money?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Britain has supported Gavi to vaccinate over 1 billion children, saving 18 million lives and generating $250 billion in economic benefits. We are considering our next investments as part of the spending review process.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm specific funding amount for Gavi post-budget reduction.

How: Considering Next Investments, Spending Review Process

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q5 Joe Powell Lab Kensington and Bayswater
Context

The reduction to 0.3% will require painful decisions but innovative financing mechanisms could support development programmes.

Question

Can the Minister commit to working with the Treasury to look at all non-ODA instruments in which Britain could show leadership and fund our development programmes?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I absolutely can make that commitment. We are looking at all measures by which we can support development and economic growth globally, working with multilateral partners.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete commitments or timelines for exploring non-ODA instruments.

How: Looking At All Measures, Working With Multilaterals

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)