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Development Aid

Asked by Emily DarlingtonLabourForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 3 June 2026UIN 3139

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the reduction of ODA Research and Development spend is proportionate to the reduction of overall ODA spend.

Answered by Chris Elmore

The Government has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027 to fund an essential increase in defence spending. ODA programme allocations reflect the decisions required to reprioritise in line with our new approach to development. As set out in Spending Review 2025 document- GOV.UK (table 4.2), ODA that is spent on Research and Development decreases as a share of the total UK ODA budget over the Spending Review period.

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