Committee publication · Correspondence · 20 January 2026
Correspondence with the Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, relating to the FCDO budget, dated 16 January and 17 December
From: Foreign Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Summary
The Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO responds to the Foreign Affairs Committee's questions about a £0.4bn reduction to the FCDO's 25/26 budget announced in the Autumn Budget. The letter clarifies that this represents a reprofiling of funding from 25/26 into 26/27 rather than a net cut, with the 26/27 allocation increasing overall as a result.
Key findings
- The £0.4bn reduction to FCDO's 25/26 Resource DEL is a reprofiling into 26/27, not a net reduction in overall spending across the two-year period
- HMT approved the reprofile of £0.4bn of ODA funding from 25/26 into 26/27 at the Spending Review 2025
- The Spending Review 2025 published a 25/26 RDEL allocation of £8.4bn but was unable to formally amend the Main Estimate 25/26 figure before the Autumn Budget
- The Autumn Budget 2025 confirmed the adjustment, showing the FCDO's 25/26 Resource DEL reduced to £8bn
- The 26/27 allocation has increased through this reprofiling rather than representing a net cut to FCDO spending plans
Tone
ProceduralTopics
public-financeforeign-aidgovernment-spending
Key actors
Dame Emily Thornberry, Oliver Robbins, Foreign Affairs Committee, FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), HMT (Her Majesty's Treasury)
Notable line
“The 26/27 allocation has therefore increased, through a reprofile between years rather than a net cut to FCDO spending plans across the two years.”
Key Quotes
“The £0.4bn reduction to the FCDO's 25/26 Resource DEL shown in the Autumn Budget reflects a reprofiling of funding into 26/27, not a net reduction.”
“Taken together, published figures reflect a transfer of £0.4bn from 25/26 into 26/27.”
“HMT agreed to reprofile £0.4bn of ODA funding from 25/26 into 26/27.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗