Minister of State for Climate, Thank you for your correspondence of 19 January about the Blue Planet Fund (BPF). As you note, we have accepted each of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s (ICAI’s) recommendations on the BPF. We will use ICAI’s findings to strengthen the delivery, coordination, and oversight of the BPF portfolio. I appreciate the Committee's interest in ensuring that future Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spend through the BPF considers the needs of local communities and partner countries, with a specific focus on reducing poverty. I would like to assure you that Defra is committed to a transparent and inclusive approach in the allocation of BPF resources to achieve long-term results for tackling poverty and protecting the marine environment. We recognise the importance of addressing poverty reduction as a priority of the BPF and in line with ODA rules . All future programme design will strengthen the mechanisms to ensure the inclusion of local perspectives in programme design and decision-making processes. I note your concern on the sustainability of the BPF's outcomes and can reassure you that Defra is actively developing a robust monitoring and evaluation framework at Fund level, working closely with FCDO. This framework, and the supporting BPF key performance indicators, will assess the effectiveness of the BPF portfolio’s performance, with a focus on the programmes’ long-term impact on poverty reduction and environmental conservation , sustainable management, and

Regarding the inclusion of ODA-eligible UK Overseas Territories (OTs) in future spending plans through the BPF, I want to emphasise our commitment to directing our ODA resources through the BPF to where they are needed most and using them to support the development priorities and needs of partner governments in line with the UK’s International Development White Paper. We support the UK OTs to deliver their marine environment priorities, including through the OTs Blue Belt Programme which has helped protect over 4 million square kilometres of ocean via Marine Protected Areas and comprehensive sustainable development frameworks. Defra also supports biodiversity in both the marine and terrestrial environments of the OTs through Darwin Plus. As highlighted in our management response to the ICAI review, we will continue to strengthen our focus on poverty and gender equality and social inclusion across the BPF programme portfolio. We recognise that identifying and combatting gender and other inequalities is a key component of poverty reduction. We will strengthen gender equality and social inclusion analyses for programmes to increase performance and capability on these issues within BPF programme teams in delivery partner teams. This work will be informed by the ICAI review and supports our broader ambition on gender equality, including our commitment under the FCDO’s International Women and Girls Strategy to increase the portion of our International Climate Finance that promotes gender equality and women’s rights. We hope this additional information has been of use. We look forward to engaging further, and to working closely with ICAI to strengthen the BPF in line with their recommendations, over the