Jenny Chapman MP will appear in front of MPs on Tuesday.
The UK’s international aid minister will tell MPs the days of the British Government acting as a “global charity” are “over” after cuts to development funding earlier this year.
Jenny Chapman MP, Minister of State for Development, will appear in front of the Commons International Development Committee to defend her government’s decisions for the first time since taking the role.
Ms Chapman was appointed after Anneliese Dodds quit due to her displeasure with the decision to slash international aid budgets by 40%.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in February that the UK would fund increased defence spending by reducing its internal aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income.
Moves towards 0.3% began last month, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ 2025/26 budget being implemented.
Ms Chapman will tell MPs that Britain will now use its expertise to support those abroad, rather than its cash.
She is expected to say: “The days of viewing the UK Government as a global charity are over. We need to prioritise, be more efficient and focus on impact above all else.
“We have to get the best value for money, for the UK taxpayer, but also for the people we are trying to help around the world.
“We need to support other countries’ systems where this is what they want, so they can educate their children, reform their own healthcare systems and grow their economies in ways which last.
“And, ultimately, exit the need for aid.
“With less to spend, we have no choice. Biggest impact and biggest spend aren’t always the same thing.”
Gideon Rabinowitz, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development and humanitarian assistance, said: “UK aid isn't about charity, it is about global solidarity and responsibility to our international commitments, and it’s an investment in a safer, healthier and more sustainable world that benefits us here in the UK. Whether it's delivering vaccines to help prevent the spread of disease, educating girls so they are not forced into child marriage, or working with local communities on peacebuilding efforts to prevent conflict.
"Baroness Chapman says that getting the best value for money from the UK aid budget is a key priority, and a clear way to achieve this is by reducing the amount of UK aid spent on asylum accommodation in the UK. Supporting refugees is vital, but it must come from a separate budget. Continuing to spend billions of limited UK aid on expensive hotel contracts is wasteful and wrong.
"Baroness Chapman also says the government will prioritise sharing the UK’s expertise, but countries and local communities understand their own needs and requirements and the government should meaningfully engage with countries and listen to what they need. A crucial way the UK can do this without spending a penny is backing financial reform proposals tabled by lower- and middle-income countries ahead of July’s Financing for Development conference, including debt relief and restructuring, global tax reform and tackling illicit financial flows which will enable lower-middle income countries to mobilise public finance domestically and internationally to finance their own economic development.”
