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Aid spending in the UK

Inquiry

Report and Government response published

The Government must put the UK’s aid budget beyond the reach of the Home Office and ringfence it to spend in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries, the International Development Committee is urging today.

In a searingly concise report of 14 paragraphs, the Committee sets out the evidence to demonstrate that the world’s poorest countries are being short-changed as a result of other Government departments raiding the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO's) aid budget. Meanwhile the aid budget has been cut to 0.55 per cent of Gross National Income and aid programmes which support the world’s poorest people overseas have been disproportionately cut.

The UK Government’s approach to spending ODA in the UK is incompatible with the spirit of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee rules, says today’s report. Most countries take a conservative approach, recognising that the ODA budget is for spending that “promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries.”

This makes the Government’s choice to spend a significant and increasing proportion of the ODA budget in the UK a “political choice”. It is a self-defeating decision which is likely only to increase the number of refugees arriving in the UK.

Read the Report: Aid spending in the UK

Read the Government response: Aid spending in the UK

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Thursday 15 December 2022.

Work news

Home Office “robbing the UK’s greatly reduced foreign aid budget of billions of pounds a year” says IDC Chair

International Development Committee Chair comments on the amount of total UK aid spending currently being allocated to the Home Office

"A spectacular own goal for the Government”- Committee Chair comments on latest ICAI report into aid spending in the UK

International Development Committee Chair comments on latest ICAI update

6 September 2023

‘Mealy-mouthed’ Government response to spending aid in UK report misses the point

International Development Committee publishes Government response

Independent aid watchdog review backs Committee’s call to limit Government aid spending in the UK

International Development Committee Chair comments on independent aid watchdog review

Hands off UK aid for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries, demands the International Development Committee

Committee publishes report on Aid spending in the UK

Accountability and transparency on spending foreign aid in the UK by Government departments to be challenged by MPs

International Development Committee takes evidence on Wednesday 8 February in the Grimond Room, Portcullis House

6 February 2023

Aid spending in the UK: Development, Home Office and Treasury Ministers to face questions

International Development Committee takes evidence on Wednesday 8 February at 2.30pm

2 February 2023

Autumn Statement 2022: Chair of International Development Committee challenges aid spend

International Development Committee publishes Chair, Sarah Champion MPs comments on the Autumn Statement 2022

17 November 2022

Use of the aid budget to support refugees in the UK new inquiry launched

International Development Committee launches new inquiry on Aid spending in the UK

16 November 2022

Contact us

Email: indcom@parliament.uk
Phone: 020 7219 1223/3285 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 4984 (media enquiries)
Address: International Development Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA