The UK Government has shifted funding from aid to defence. 

The future of the UK’s international aid and development assistance programmes will be the focus of a new inquiry launched today by the International Development Committee.

The inquiry will examine how the UK can continue to deliver high impact international aid and development assistance in the face of a 40% budget cut as the Government seeks to fund increased defence spending in the name of national security.

The international development budget will be cut from 0.5% of the UK’s Gross National Income – the equivalent total income of people and businesses in the UK – to 0.3% in 2027. The effect of this is expected to be a £15.4bn budget being reduced to £9.2bn, of which as little as 80% could be spent abroad as the budget also covers some asylum support in the UK.

Committee chair, Sarah Champion MP, said: “We are at a critical moment when it comes to the future of UK foreign aid. How do we ensure no one is left behind, particularly the most vulnerable including as the extreme poor, women and girls and people with disabilities whilst also meeting the Government’s stated priorities?

“What should drive the Government’s vision for foreign aid; national security, moral duty, international obligations? We want to hear from those with experience or expertise in the sector about how the UK can meet this challenge.”

In July, Foreign Office Minister Baroness Chapman of Darlington wrote to the Committee outlining “essential shifts” in the UK’s working relationships with its partners in how it delivers aid. 

The idea is to move from a paternalistic donor model involved directly in service delivery to one based more on partnership, investment and indirect support.

The Committee is seeking evidence from witnesses before the end of 31 October.