Overview
- The Commons International Development Committee says reducing ODA to 0.3% of GNI by 2027/28 would cut total aid from about £14.1bn in 2024 to £9.4bn by 2028/29.
- The report finds spending is shifting toward humanitarian relief at the expense of development, with protection pledged for crises in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.
- The committee urges a return to at least 0.5% of GNI for aid, a cap on asylum-hotel costs as a share of the aid budget, a review of multilateral contributions and stricter transparency for private contractors.
- MPs criticise the FCDO’s current definition of value for money for downplaying poverty reduction, warning repeated cuts disrupt programmes, erode soft power and raise risks to UK security.
- The government defends the reductions as necessary to fund the biggest defence increase since the Cold War, highlighting focus on high-impact efforts such as Gavi, while aid groups including WaterAid call the policy short-sighted.