Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Poverty-focused Aid

Tuesday 19 January 2021 · 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK Government remains a generous donor with more than 10 billion focused on poverty reduction
  • Consultations with civil society, including NGOs, are regularly conducted to inform prioritisation
  • Response acknowledges rising global poverty due to covid and commits to tackling it within new ODA framework

Questions & Answers

Q1 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham
Context

International development spending is declining due to a decrease in gross national income, and there are concerns about further cuts planned by the Chancellor.

Question

With international development spending falling alongside the country's drop in gross national income, and given the plan to slash UK commitments to the world's poorest, it is crucial that ODA spending reaches developing countries effectively. Could you explain what criteria ensure poverty alleviation is prioritised? How will civil society be consulted on this?

Answer from James Duddridge

The UK Government remains one of the most generous donors with more than £10 billion focused on poverty reduction. We consult extensively with civil society; Lord Ahmad has recently done so, and further consultations are planned. Additionally, £1.3 billion is targeted at covid-related efforts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific criteria for prioritising poverty alleviation were not detailed.

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Q2 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham
Context

The UK's commitment to development aid is being reconsidered, leading to concerns about the impact on poverty alleviation and effective use of ODA.

Question

Given the importance of reaching developing countries effectively despite falling international development funding, what criteria are used for prioritising poverty reduction? How will civil society be involved in these decisions?

Answer from James Duddridge

The UK remains a generous donor with £10 billion focused on poverty, we consult regularly with NGOs; Lord Ahmad recently did so. We also focus heavily on covid response with over 300 programmes repurposed.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific criteria for prioritising poverty reduction were not detailed.

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Q3 Chris Law SNP Dundee Central
Context

The UK Government has abolished the Department for International Development and is not meeting its 0.7% of GNI commitment, leading to concerns about further cuts affecting efforts to eradicate poverty.

Question

Global poverty is rising again after more than two decades of progress, with an estimated 150 million people in extreme poverty by year-end. Given the abolition of DfID and reneging on aid commitments, can you commit explicitly to eradicating poverty within the new ODA framework?

Answer from James Duddridge

We share passion for international development; our targets aim at poverty alleviation but recognise complex causes and solutions. The merged Department will work on these objectives, tackling poverty increased by covid.

Not addressed: The explicit commitment to eradicating poverty was not given.

How: Changed Subject Entirely Without Addressing The Specific Ask

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