This financial year, we are continuing to fund lifesaving assistance to Palestinians, support to Gaza's early recovery, and activity to strengthen Palestinian institutions, governance, accountability and civil society, including reform of the Palestinian Authority.

Before funding is committed and disbursed to any partners, we ensure that due diligence and value for money considerations are carried out in line with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office programme operating framework. We also monitor effectiveness through our general programme oversight including annual reviews, partner engagement, and monitoring visits to scrutinise performance.

We are committed to working closely with partners, including the EU, to deliver our new approach to development. The Foreign Secretary and then High Representative for Foreign Affairs agreed at the October EU Foreign Affairs Council to strengthen their co-operation on international issues. I discussed this ambition again with the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships on 5 February. As a practical example of UK-EU collaboration, the EU confirmed through a 'Pillar Assessment' last autumn that the UK is eligible to manage EU funds on the EU's behalf.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The official source of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) data is Statistics on International Development (SID) which is published on a calendar year basis. 2021 is the latest year for which data is available.

The volume of UK bilateral ODA disbursed for the benefit of European countries is available in Table A4d of SID: Final UK Aid Spend 2021: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119396/Table-A4d.ods

Please note that this includes only bilateral ODA given specifically for the benefit of individual countries. The UK also spends ODA in the form of core contributions to multilateral organisations and bilaterally to programmes which benefit multiple countries/regions, which may also benefit European countries.

EU Global Gateway projects are developed and delivered through Team Europe Initiatives. The EU, EU Member States, and European financial institutions work together with European businesses as well as governments, civil society and the private sector in partner countries.

UK entities are eligible to participate in procurement procedures for actions financed under the "Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) - Global Europe" geographic programmes and the Global Challenges thematic programme where contracts are implemented in Least Developed Countries or highly indebted poor countries that are eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (see Article 28(1)(f) of the Regulation (EU) 2021/947- EUR-Lex - 32021R0947 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)). The UK does not contribute to the NDICI, which includes the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). The EFSD+ is the main financial tool for mobilising investments under the Global Gateway, providing guarantees for de-risking activities and leveraging private investment. The UK does not contribute to EFSD+ investments and UK entities are not eligible for guarantees or other financial instruments.

I called on Israel to stop demolitions on 5 February 2021. I also raised our concern about demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 29 October 2020, and issued a statement outlining the UK's concern about the demolitions of structures in Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November 2020. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem visited Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November 2020 to reiterate UK support for the community. The UK provides funding to the West Bank Protection Consortium, which is coordinating with the Palestinian Red Cross and the United Nations to provide emergency shelter to the community of Humsa Al-Baqai'a, and determine the community's long-term needs. UK senior officials raised demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 10 November 2020. The UK also urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 21 December 2020.

We are focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

The UK is concerned by the continued demolitions of Palestinian property and infrastructure by Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process.

The UK regularly raises demolitions with the Government of Israel. I raised my concerns about demolitions of Palestinian and humanitarian structures with the Israeli Ambassador on 29 October 2020, and the UK Ambassador to Israel outlined the UK's position to the Israeli Authorities in Jerusalem on the same day. UK senior officials raised demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 10 November 2020. The UK also urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 21 December 2020. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities, including to Khan al Ahmar on 20 November, Givat Hamatos on 22 October, the South Hebron Hills on 19 October, and Ras al Tin on 16 October. We are focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

The UK's contribution to the European Development Fund (EDF) for 2021 onwards will gradually reduce on an annual basis as programmes are finalised. In 2019, the contribution to the EDF was £852,683,097 and for 2020 it was £371,142,678. In late 2020, the Commission estimated that the UK's share of the EDF will be EURO 1,527,732,926 (approx. £1,374,107,687) for the four year period 2021-2024. The UK ODA that the FCDO will have available to spend once the UK has met all outstanding commitments to the EDF will be calculated, audited and officially reported on once all EDF programmes are implemented and finalised and the total UK commitments fulfilled.

The FCDO has no plans to co-ordinate allocations of Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). We will take our own decisions about where we allocate our ODA in line with our own prioritisation decisions and the outcomes of the Integrated Review. However, following the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement we will continue to maintain an effective dialogue with the EU on global issues of common interest and coordinate when appropriate to maximise impact.

EU training support to the Libyan Coastguard and Navy (LCGN) was provided through EU naval Operation Sophia, to which the UK made a voluntary contribution of €595,000 on 12 May 2017. No contributions were made by the UK to EU training of the LCGN after that date. LCGN training was funded out of voluntary contributions from Member States and we estimate the total amount to be approximately €3 million. The operation formally closed on 31 March 2020. It was succeeded by EU Operation IRINI, to which the UK has not contributed.

The Eritrean Government has justified civilian and military national service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia, but we have yet to see concrete proposals for reform following the peace declaration. According to our information, every Eritrean young person completes their 12th and final year of school at the national service military training centre at Sawa where they do both military training as well as academic study. At the end, they take exams which leads to some going to college, some receiving vocational training, while others join government ministries or the military. All jobs in Eritrea in the public sector are done by Eritreans on national service, and these include the civil service, teachers, doctors, construction and the military. Sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with improvements to the economic situation and job creation. We will continue to monitor the situation.

As a Member State, the UK spent approximately 10% of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the EU each year. Going forward we will be able to make our own decisions about where, when and how we invest that money. The UK will continue to play a leading role in tackling global development challenges in support of the national interest.

Under the Withdrawal Agreement the UK will honour its share of commitments made to the EU budget and off-budget funds during the period of our membership. For DFID, this means that we will meet our commitments to EU development programmes approved by 31 December 2020 until their closure. As these are multi-year programmes, this will result in a declining spending tail of ODA contributions that we expect to run until 2027.

Ministers will take decisions on reallocating ODA funding through normal departmental processes and DFID’s bid to the Spending Review, in line with the conclusions of the Integrated Review.

UK support for the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa project, to reconnect Eritrea and Ethiopia through the rehabilitation of the main roads, is conditional on the EU working with the UN to monitor the treatment of national service workers implementing the project. The project, run by the Eritrean state-owned company Segen Engineering, will employ approximately 300 civilian National Service workers who will receive technical and health and safety training.

We are not aware of any reports of sexual or gender-based violence connected with this project or within the construction industry as a whole. DFID works closely with the European Union on our joint agenda to safeguard against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. We will continue to review these specific concerns relating to Eritrean national service, and work with the EU to put further measures in place where we judge these are required.

Following the historic agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia in July 2018, reconnecting the two countries and providing Ethiopia access to Eritrea’s ports is a priority. This will help to boost both countries’ economies, and generate job opportunities.

The UK welcomes reconciliation between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Our support for the project under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, to reconnect Eritrea and Ethiopia through the rehabilitation of the main roads, was conditional on the EU working with the UN to monitor the treatment of national service workers implementing the project. We are continuing to monitor this. We note increased engagement from Eritrea with the EU on human rights issues since the inception of the project, including two Article 8 dialogues and the visit to Asmara of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights.

The border between Eritrea and Ethiopia remains closed and we are concerned that both sides are yet to agree substantive arrangements on trade and border management given the impact this has on peace agreement. Like our partners in the EU we urge the two countries to ensure the agreement is fully implemented in order to bring stability and prosperity to their countries and the Horn of Africa region.

The Government would prefer to leave with a deal and we will work in an energetic and determined way to do so. If it is not possible to reach a deal we will have to leave with no deal and the Government is preparing for that outcome.

The UK is a development superpower and will remain committed to supporting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Where it is in the UK’s interests, we will seek to work with the EU on shared priorities in international development, as a third country.

The Government is broadly supportive of the EU’s efforts to engage with Eritrea, and to create opportunities for greater engagement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, including through increasing development assistance where possible. We share concerns about human rights, particularly regarding Eritrea’s use of national service. However, it is clear that key elements of development cooperation in Eritrea, including recent cooperation on road building, will not be taken forward without the use of national service labour. We have therefore pressed the EU for enhanced efforts to ensure safeguards are in place. The EU has confirmed that the project implementer will monitor and assess whether workers are receiving an appropriate salary, and that basic health and safety standards are applied. Alongside those immediate measures, we, and the EU, will continue to encourage reform of the Eritrean national service system.

Around 15% of all EU development funds, including those used for projects in Eritrea, are attributable to UK ODA. We are also providing a €3m direct contribution to the Horn of Africa programmes of the EU Trust Fund for Africa, whose programming includes the EU’s €20m road building project in Eritrea.