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Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee

Eighth Special Report: A brave new Britain? The future of the UK’s international policy: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourth Report

Published 13 January 2021

Foreign Affairs Committee The FCDO and the Integrated Review Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to Fourth Report: A brave new Britain? The future of the UK’s international policy.

This is the government's response, published 13 January 2021.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government agrees with many of the Committee's recommendations and its assessment of global trends, but disagrees with the characterisation of UK international policy as "adrift" and with the claim that Britain abroad is less than the sum of its parts.

  • It disagrees with the claim that "Britain abroad is less than the sum of its parts", saying the creation of the FCDO "enables integration of international development and foreign policy".
  • On the Integrated Review's priorities, it says it "would not want to prejudge" the review's outcomes on conflict resolution and soft power, and that the Review "will be published in the new year".
  • It does not agree on the need to establish diplomatic missions to leading technology companies, believing engagement "should utilise the existing relationships government holds with key businesses in the sector".
  • On aid, it says it will "return to spending 0.7 of GNI on ODA when the fiscal situation allows", having temporarily reduced spending to 0.5% of GNI.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

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