There is coverage in today’s Daily Mail, Times and Guardian (online) of a report published yesterday by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on how the aid budget is spent.
The PAC report was informed by a National Audit Office (NAO) report on the same subject in June and a PAC hearing in July, at which senior policy officials from DFID, the Foreign Office and BEIS appeared.
The Mail and Times coverage reports concerns that aid money is not being spent effectively across the whole of government. DFID was not contacted for a comment.
The UK Government is clear that UK aid makes a huge difference around the world from responding to diseases, like Ebola and malaria, to tackling climate change and improving the rights of women and girls.
We are investing in international development by drawing on skills and expertise from across government and we continue to share best practice across departments so that we deliver the best results for the world’s poorest.
Aid spending departments work together to share best practice on project design and delivery, and transparency.
Every DFID project is rigorously scrutinised before being approved, and regularly monitored once up and running to ensure it is cost-effective and delivering the best results – a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for people in developing countries and in the UK.