International Development Committee to continue scrutinising aid spending

The leader of the House of Commons has confirmed that the International Development Committee is to remain and will continue to scrutinise aid spending.

Simon Starling, Director of policy, advocacy and research at Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development said:

“Today’s announcement will come as a huge relief to many MPs, Peers, NGOs and activists who have been championing the IDC’s role in scrutinising UK aid. The IDC is essential to ensure the accountability of UK aid to both the people who need it most and the British taxpayer. With a diminishing aid budget and a concerning lack of transparency around existing and proposed cuts, the role of the IDC in holding the government to account will be more important than ever. If the government manages to change the International Development Act and reduce its manifesto commitment to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA to 0.5% instead, drastic cuts to lifesaving humanitarian and development programmes will follow. The IDC will play a critical role in ensuring that not a single penny from the shrinking aid budget is diverted away from those facing disease, poverty, conflict and climate change.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

International Development Committee (IDC) to remain
The International Development Committee (IDC) was established to scrutinise the spending, administration and policies of the Department for International Development (DFID) and monitors the expenditure of Official Development Assistance (ODA) by other UK government departments.
Since the announcement of the Foreign Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development merger was announced, the fate of the International Development Committee (IDC) was in doubt. Bond has been calling for a dedicated cross-government select committee to be in place to scrutinise aid spending by all government departments, separate from the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office departmental select committee.
Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of over 400 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.
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