Development Aid
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the level of ODA spend.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
To fund an increase in defence spending, the Government has taken the decision to reduce our ODA budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. This reflects the world we live in and the threats our country faces. We must do this to maintain economic stability - the foundation of this Government's Plan for Change. The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA when the fiscal circumstances allow.
The government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely, and each year will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015, whether a return to spending 0.7% GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast. The Office for Budget Responsibility's latest forecast shows that the ODA fiscal tests are not due to be met within the Parliament.
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