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Select Committee · International Development Committee

Future of UK aid and development assistance

Status: Open Opened: 15 Sep 2025 13 recommendations 14 conclusions 2 reports

A new inquiry into the future of the UK’s international aid and development assistance programmes has been launched by the International Development Committee. It 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 …

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
11th Report - UK Aid and Development Assistance in a Fractu… HC 1835 28 Apr 2026 4 Pending
9th Report - Future of UK aid and development assistance: i… HC 1330 5 Feb 2026 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
9 Recommendation 9th Report - Future of UK aid and devel… Accepted in Part

Earmark bilateral ODA and grant missions autonomy for Centrally Managed Programme approval.

To enable the FCDO to provide relevant and impactful support in its bilateral partner countries: a. sufficient levels of bilateral ODA must be earmarked for programmes, the design and delivery of which would be overseen by the FCDO (and other delivery departments) in-country; b. Centrally Managed Programmes (CMPs) need to …

Government response. The FCDO is taking a partnership-led approach to development and will have flexibility to deliver the development our partners want. CMPs have undergone a thorough review, posts will be able to draw on central Communities of Expertise. FCDO recognizes the …
15 Recommendation 9th Report - Future of UK aid and devel… Accepted in Part

Pause FCDO restructuring until staffing, skills, equalities, and ODA impact assessments are completed.

We call on the Government to pause the processes currently underway until the following actions have been completed: a. a structured assessment of staffing required to deliver the Government’s priorities both in the UK and in countries with a diplomatic mission, to be presented in a Workforce Plan for this …

Government response. The FCDO is implementing a new Capability Framework, developing a Workforce Strategy for the Spending Review period and working through a detailed design process to ensure that the future FCDO workforce is sufficiently skilled to deliver Ministerial priorities within the …
21 Recommendation 9th Report - Future of UK aid and devel… Accepted in Part

Ensure FCDO retains expertise and provides gender-specific funding to empower marginalised groups.

The FCDO must have the expertise and resources required to empower marginalised groups in decision-making forums, as well as the ability to equip them in their efforts to bring about lasting change in their communities. The FCDO will need to ensure that, through its spending allocations, it retains centralised and …

Government response. The FCDO is transitioning to differentiated development partnerships and focusing on locally led approaches and the UK's International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls; equality impact assessments (EIAs) which consider impacts on people with relevant and protected characteristics – are …

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
24 Mar 2026 Melinda Bohannon · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Nick Dyer · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office View ↗
27 Jan 2026 Bel Trew · The Independent, Chido Govera · Future of Hope Foundation (Zimbabwe), Finian Ali · Scaling Up Nutrition Network (Nigeria), Jennifer Hudson · Development Engagement Lab, Luke Tryl · More in Common, Sapphire Alexander · Caribbean Feminist (Trinidad and Tobago) View ↗
20 Jan 2026 Melinda Bohannon · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office View ↗
25 Nov 2025 Freddie Carver · ODI Global, Gideon Rabinowitz · Bond, Lois Austin · Public and Commercial Services (PCS) trade union, Martin John · Public and Commercial Services (PCS) trade union, Ms Anna Schuesterl · ODI Global, Professor Emma Mawdsley · University of Cambridge View ↗

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
24 Mar 2026 — Correspondence to the Minister of State for International Development & Africa …
24 Mar 2026 — Correspondence from the Minister of State for International Development & Afric…
24 Mar 2026 — Correspondence from the Minister of State for International Development & Afric…