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.

If my Hon. Friend is seeking the provisional Official Development Assistance (ODA): Gross National Income (GNI) ratio for 2025 (and final ratio for 2024) this information can be found within the Statistics on International Development at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development.

In February 2025, the UK Government took the difficult decision to reduce ODA spending to 0.3 per cent of GNI by 2027 to fund a necessary increase in defence spending. We also stated our commitment to restore ODA spending to 0.7 per cent of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. The Government has acted to improve budget stability for ODA to allow for better long-term planning of programming, meaning that ODA budgets will no longer be automatically adjusted for GNI fluctuations.

For 2024/25 the total ODA Research and Development (R&D) spend across HM Government was £985 million. Projected spending for 2025/26 was £0.8 billion, and current spending plans are £0.5 billion for 2026/27, and £0.4 billion for 2027/28, 2028/29 and 2029/30.

One of the defining impacts of this Government is the action that we are taking to tackle violence against women and girls, and that means making illegal online that which is illegal offline. Intimate image abuse is now a priority offence; cyber-flashing is a priority offence; nudification apps are being banned, and we are standing up to Grok, and as a result the spread of intimate deepfakes has stopped; and non-consensual intimate images are now taken down within 48 hours. We will of course continue to engage with the BBFC and a range of other organisations in fulfilling our demands for parity.

The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.

We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.

It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.

The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.

We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.

It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.

The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.

We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.

It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.

The Department published guidance in 2024 called Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness to support the care transfer hub, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness

This guidance recognises the necessity for multi-disciplinary teams. It recommends that dedicated housing options officers are embedded within the care transfer hub and advises hospitals treating over 200 homeless patients a year to offer access to a specialist multi-disciplinary homeless discharge team.

Some areas of the country have introduced High Intensity Use Services to proactively meet the needs of the most frequent attenders of the local accident and emergency, a significant portion of whom are experiencing homelessness. These services include multi-disciplinary teams that are helping to address health inequalities faced by this cohort while alleviating pressure on urgent and emergency care pathway,

In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.

We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.

The Government inherited a homelessness crisis; there were record numbers of people in temporary accommodation, and rough sleeping had doubled. That is why my predecessor got together the inter-ministerial group on homelessness very quickly. It has met four times, and has established the principles of the strategy, having sought full input from across Government. That strategy is on its way, but just last week, the Government announced a further £84 million in this financial year to support people who are sleeping rough or who are homeless.

From the development of vaccines to the discovery of the structure of DNA, British medical innovation has played a fundamental role in changing the lives of people globally and extending the UK’s global influence. Our industrial strategy and forthcoming life sciences sector plan will put the UK at the very centre of global efforts.

The Government recognises the importance of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) to the UK economy and has sought evidence from industry to identify how SEP licensing practices function to encourage innovation and promote competition.

The IPO continues to assess industry evidence on how the SEPs ecosystem impacts on UK SMEs and technology companies and is considering policy options that could help improve its functioning, including SEP licensing conditions. Any options requiring regulatory change would be part of a consultation and a final decision on holding a consultation would rest with Ministers.

Let me state again that the Government is committed to reducing the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels over time. As we make progress on those objectives, it will reduce the amount of UK Official Development Assistance that needs to be used to house asylum refugees in this country.

The Government remain committed to restoring ODA spending to 0.7% of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. The latest OBR forecasts show that the ODA fiscal tests are not due to be met within this Parliament,

but we will continue to monitor future forecasts closely and each year we will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015, whether a return to spending at 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible.