Home / Sources / Select Committees / 11th Report - UK Aid and Development Assistance in a Fractu…
Select committee: International Development Committee

11th Report - UK Aid and Development Assistance in a Fracturing World: Strengthening Resilience and Cooperation

HC 1835 Published 28 April 2026

International Development Committee Future of UK aid and development assistance Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance3 recommendations and 1 conclusion · Government response published 8 July 2026 (deadline 28 June 2026)

The government's response

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

The government says it "remains firmly committed to international development" and responds to the Committee's first recommendation with "Partially agree" on each of its four parts, setting out its modern development approach.

  • On Recommendation 1.a, the government "Partially agree[s]", saying the "four essential shifts" draw on international evidence, and that measuring their impact "will be complex" and require qualitative assessment alongside quantitative metrics.
  • On civil society, it says it is "not a policy objective" to ensure diaspora and UK NGO resources complement government priorities, and does "not consider a single strategy the most effective approach at this stage".
  • It states that it "does not agree" that a Multilateral Aid Review "would be worthwhile at this time", citing the multi-year ODA allocations just agreed.
  • It does not consider new country-level investment boards or an FCDO seat on the British International Investment Board necessary or advisable, preferring existing coordination and oversight arrangements.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources

Recommendations and conclusions 4

  1. 1
    In the coming months we expect to see much greater transparency from the Government over... Recommendation · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
    In the coming months we expect to see much greater transparency from the Government over the evidence base for its newly articulated approach to international relief and development and the tangible impact it expects this to have. We anticipate more information on how it intends to communicate both the approach and its results, and how the various components will be brought together to form a coherent policy. (Conclusion, Paragraph 24)
  2. 2
    In its response to this report, we request the Government provides more detail on its... Recommendation · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
    In its response to this report, we request the Government provides more detail on its approach in areas where this is sorely lacking, and clarify its own policy position. This will serve to reassure Parliament, the sector, and the public that the policy announcements made to date are part of a coherent approach to ODA programming and work as part of a clear theory of change. Specifically, the Government must: a. Outline the evidence base for the “four essential shifts” and how this will be used to evaluate their success. A clear qualitative and quantitative description of what success looks like is required and over what time scale. It should also include a model for how development partnerships are envisaged to operate with clearly defined roles for FCDO missions, external stakeholders and departmental support. b. Provide a description of its approach to engaging with multilaterals with an evidence base for the choices of which organisations and mechanisms it will invest in, prioritising institutions with a proven track record of delivery. This should be accompanied by a measurable and time-bound plan for reform and a detailed approach for how alignment with UK priorities will be achieved. c. Set out an account of the risk and impact assessment exercises, beyond the Equalities Risk Assessment, that the Department has undertaken around the reductions and reprioritising of ODA. This should include details of the measures taken to mitigate risks, including: discussions with other ODA-delivering countries; 14 communication with bilateral development partners; and intentional efforts to ensure the UK’s multilateral contributions fill the gaps left by the reprioritising of bilateral ODA. d. Present a clear strategy for how the Government will engage with civil society in the UK around development challenges. Specifically, how the Government will work to ensure the energy and resources of diaspora groups and UK-based NGOs complement its own priorities for the spending of
  3. 3
    From the evidence we have received, and applying it to what we know of the... Conclusion · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
    From the evidence we have received, and applying it to what we know of the Government’s approach, we have prepared a document to convert the Government’s ambitions into a policy to alleviate poverty. This outlines some of the key considerations that will need to be borne in mind as the Government’s aspirations are translated into practical policies. (Conclusion, Paragraph 26)
  4. 4
    We recommend that the Government considers Appendix 1 as a working policy document for its... Recommendation · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
    We recommend that the Government considers Appendix 1 as a working policy document for its approach to aid and development. In its response, we request that the Government indicates where it agrees or disagrees with the Committee’s policy paper and why. (Recommendation, Paragraph 27) 15