Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

FCO Merger

Wednesday 15 July 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government assesses the merger of DFID with the FCO as part of its commitment to a unified British foreign and development policy.
  • Baroness Sugg leads meetings with CSOs to inform the new Department's aid priorities.
  • The Prime Minister announced the new departmental framework to Parliament first, followed by ongoing consultations with CSOs and NGOs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem West湖区
Foreign Affairs
Context

Government's assessment of merging DFID with FCO before February 2020.

Question

What assessment did the Government make regarding the potential merits of merging the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office prior to announcing the integrated review on 26 February 2020?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development)

Both the merger and the integrated review are evidence of this Government's commitment to a unified British foreign and development policy that will maximise our impact around the world, project our values and be a stronger force for good—they go hand in hand.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem West湖区
Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Procedure
Context

Bond network claims no prior consultations, questioning the legitimacy of integrated review.

Question

The Bond network says it was not consulted on this merger. Will the Government commit to meeting Bond and other CSOs so they can inform the new Department's aid priorities?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development)

Baroness Sugg leads in the Department in meeting the CSOs, and there are regular meetings ongoing. The integrated review is working over the summer to pull together the key issues, and development is an absolutely critical strand within that.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Chris Law SNP Glasgow North East
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

MP challenges previous statement that there was extensive consultation before the merger announcement.

Question

Last week, I asked about consultations with partner organisations and NGOs before the merger announcement. The Secretary of State said Parliament was first informed, followed by ongoing consultations. This contradicts the Prime Minister's claim of significant prior consultation. Was the decision taken without evidence or did the PM mislead Parliament?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development)

As set out in previous answers, the Prime Minister made the announcement of the new departmental framework to Parliament first, and there are ongoing discussions led by Baroness Sugg and the permanent secretary with the CSOs and the NGOs.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email