FCDO Minister (): My Noble Friend the Minister
of State for International Development and Africa (The Rt Hon
of Darlington) has today
made the following statement:
The FCDO's Annual Report & Accounts 2025-26 reports that in
2025, on a provisional basis, the United Kingdom did not meet its
target to spend the equivalent of 0.7 per cent of Gross National
Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA).
The International Development (Official Development Assistance
Target) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) envisages situations in which a
departure from meeting the target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNI
on ODA may be necessary, including due to economic circumstances,
fiscal circumstances and circumstances arising outside the UK.
The fiscal circumstances did not allow for ODA spending to be
returned to 0.7 per cent of GNI in 2025.
This Government is committed to restoring ODA spending at the
level of 0.7 per cent of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances
allow. The principles for a return will be met when, on a
sustainable basis, the Government is not borrowing for day-to-day
spending and underlying debt is falling. We will monitor future
forecasts closely against these tests. The latest forecast from
the Office for Budget Responsibility indicates that the tests
will not be met in this Parliament. The Government is working
hard to create the conditions to enable the ODA fiscal tests to
be met by prioritising growth stronger growth will help in time
to get underlying debt down.
As required by section 2 of the 2015 Act, an Unnumbered Act Paper
has been laid before Parliament and is in the same terms as this
statement.
