External Event:
International Development Committee
Select Committee Announcement No.41
2 December 2020
For Immediate Release:
ORAL EVIDENCE SESSION
Tuesday 8 December, Virtual session
Watch LIVE here: Future of UK aid: Reductions to the aid budget
- Please note there is no physical access to Parliament
- Session will be conducted with remote participation by witnesses and Committee members
Future of UK aid: reductions to the aid budget
Purpose of the Session
The International Development Committee will scrutinise the reduction to the aid budget, with an evidence session with the development sector next week, before hearing from the Foreign Secretary in January.
As part of the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced a reduction of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI from 2021. In real terms, this will shrink the UK’s aid budget by one third compared to 2019 levels. The Government has also announced that it intends to legislate for this change.
At this pivotal time for UK aid, the Committee will consider the practical implications of cutting UK ODA to 0.5% of GNI. It will discuss the impact of the reductions for communities in the global south and for the UK’s international standing. It will also examine the Government’s new priorities for aid spending.
Witnesses from 14:30
- Harpinder Collacott, Executive Director, Development Initiatives
- Mark Miller, Director of Programme – Development Public Finance, Overseas Development Institute
- Ian Mitchell, Senior Policy Fellow and Co-Director (Europe), Center for Global Development
Witnesses from 15:15
- Romilly Greenhill, Director, ONE Campaign
- Alan Mendoza, Executive Director, Henry Jackson Society
- Simon Starling, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Research, Bond
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, has agreed to appear before the Committee on 26 January.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Committee membership is as follows: Sarah Champion MP, Chair (Lab, Rotherham), Richard Bacon MP (Con, South Norfolk), Brendan Clarke-Smith MP (Con, Bassetlaw), Theo Clarke MP (Con, Stafford), Pauline Latham OBE MP (Con, Mid Derbyshire), Chris Law MP (SNP, Dundee West), Ian Liddell-Grainger MP (Con, Bridgwater and West Somerset), Navendu Mishra MP (Lab, Stockport), Kate Osamor MP (Lab, Edmonton), Dr Dan Poulter MP (Con, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich), Mr Virendra Sharma MP (Lab, Ealing, Southall).
Committee news and reports, Bills, Library research material and much more can be found at www.parliament.uk. All proceedings can be viewed live and on-demand at www.parliamentlive.uk.