Jeremy Wright has said that he 'would have voted for' an increase in foreign aid spending had the House of Commons been allowed to vote on the issue this week.

A group of Conservative MPs had planned to overturn £4bn of cuts on Monday, suggesting that the government return to spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid.

The government had reduced spending to 0.5% earlier this year.

MPs had added an amendment to a bill regarding the new research agency for the UK, however Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ruled the the proposal inadmissible.

In a statement on his website, Jeremy Wright made it clear that he would have voted in favour of the amendment had it been voted on.

The Conservative MP for Kenilworth and Southam said: "It would be better if this issue did not have to be shoe-horned into a bill like this, but it did not seem that Parliament would have another timely opportunity to vote on the matter.

"That being so, I would have voted for the amendment if there had been a vote."

Mr Wright then said that there were two points of clarity missing from the government. Firstly he said that whilst the 2015 Act allows the government to miss the foreign aid spending target under exceptional circumstances (such as the pandemic) this "does not justify the target being changed."

He added: "Second, in order to confirm ministers' intentions to return to the 0.7% target 'when circumstances allow', Parliament must be given greater clarity about what will constitute such circumstances.

"I remain of the view that the 0.7% target is good policy and both in the interests of the poorest of the world and in our own national interest."

Having ruled the amendment inadmissible Sir Lindsay did say that MPs should be given the chance to vote on the issue properly.

(Image of Jeremy Wright via parliament.uk