Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Foreign Policy and Overseas Aid: Co-ordination

Tuesday 15 June 2021 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The creation of the FCDO combines diplomatic network with development expertise to maximize interests and impact.
  • Alun Cairns congratulates the Foreign Secretary on securing vaccine commitments for developing nations at the G7.
  • The UK aims to achieve more by integrating diplomatic and political efforts with development objectives.

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Alun Cairns Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

Assessment of the merits in combining foreign policy with overseas aid to enhance global influence and impact.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of strengthening co-ordination between foreign policy and overseas aid?

Answer from Wendy Morton

The creation of the FCDO combines our diplomatic network with our development expertise and resource to maximise our interests, influence and impact as a global force for good. The Foreign Secretary's strategic oversight of ODA is bringing greater coherence and impact to UK aid, sharpening our focus where we can make the most difference and ensuring that every penny delivers results.

Answered
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Q2 Alun Cairns Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

Discussion on the impact of integrating overseas aid with diplomatic objectives, specifically highlighting commitments made at the G7 summit for vaccine distribution.

Question

I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the ministerial team on their part in securing the vaccination commitment to the developing nations at the G7 over the weekend. There are to be 100 million vaccines from the UK, 500 million doses from the US and 100 million from the EU bloc; although not necessarily proportionate, those commitments will have a major impact on the world's most vulnerable people. Does my hon. Friend agree that the impact of overseas aid is greater when it is integrated with our diplomatic aims?

Answer from Wendy Morton

I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend and I am grateful to him for asking that question. As we saw just last weekend at the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, the UK really can achieve much more when diplomatic and political levers combine with our development objectives, be that on vaccines, as he illustrated, or on girls' education or climate change. We can also use aid commitments to leverage greater financial commitments from other G7 countries and multilaterals. The G7 development-finance institutions and multilateral partners have committed to investing more than $80 billion in the private sector in Africa over the next five years.

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