IDC to hold inaugural hearing with new International Development Minister
The International Development Committee is set to quiz recently appointed Minister of State for International Development Kirsty McNeill for the first time.
McNeill, who was appointed on 21 July, will be flanked by two senior officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Minister is likely to be asked about her priorities for international development and how she will achieve them with Official Development Assistance (ODA) being reduced to 0.3% of GNI.
With the Labour manifesto and the previous Foreign Secretary stating that ODA will return to 0.7% “when fiscal circumstances allow,” the Minister could be pressed on when she expects this to happen.
The session comes after the Committee’s report on the Future of UK Aid raised concerns about the nature and level of government engagement with the public around aid spending. Picking up on this, MPs could ask the Minister how she will approach communicating the importance of aid to the public.
As the Committee prepares to publish its report on the UK’s International Climate Finance, MPs might explore whether the FCDO’s strategic priorities on climate and nature have changed with the new leadership.
Meeting details
Elsewhere in the session, the Minister is expected to face questions about the FCDO’s restructure and staffing changes and moves to refresh the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan.
MPs could also ask about the future of ODA commitment to Ukraine and the Government’s change in approach on Israel, as outlined in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 8 September.