Committee publication · Report · 28 April 2026 · HC 1835
11th Report - UK Aid and Development Assistance in a Fracturing World: Strengthening Resilience and Cooperation
From: International Development Committee
Inquiry: Future of UK aid and development assistance
Government response deadline: 28 June 2026
Summary
This report examines UK aid and development assistance policy in a fragmented global context. The International Development Committee scrutinises the Government's proposed 'four essential shifts' (donor to investor, service delivery to system support, grants to expertise, international intervention to local leadership) implemented as ODA reduces to 0.3% of GNI. The Committee finds the strategy lacks coherent evidence base, clear poverty-alleviation priorities, and adequate detail on implementation, and submits a working policy paper proposing additional reforms including a fifth shift on public communication.
Key findings
- Government's 'four essential shifts' in development approach lack sufficient evidence base and theory of change; it is unclear how shifts interact or prioritise poverty alleviation across ODA programming.
- British International Investment (BII) has received £880 million ODA in 2024/25 but lacks transparency on how investments benefit the most marginalised; concerns raised about DFI appetite for fragile states.
- Multilateral funding commitments and choices lack public transparency; Government has conducted only a 'partial review' with no published evidence for selection of organisations to support.
- Centrally Managed Programmes face ~42% cuts; Communities of Expertise remain vaguely defined with unclear structures for coherence and quality assurance across development activity.
- Committee proposes fifth essential shift—'From unfamiliarity to understanding'—recommending sustained public communication campaign and Global Education Programme to rebuild public trust in UK aid.
- Report emphasises ODA as preventative spending; calls for de-classification of in-country refugee costs as ODA and coordination of funding across allies to fill gaps from bilateral deprioritisation.
Recommendations
- Outline evidence base for the 'four essential shifts' with clear qualitative and quantitative success metrics, timeframes, and defined roles for FCDO missions, external stakeholders, and departmental support.
- Provide evidence-based description of multilateral engagement strategy, selection criteria for organisations and mechanisms, measurable time-bound reform plan, and approach for alignment with UK priorities.
- Present comprehensive risk and impact assessments (beyond Equalities Impact Assessment) for ODA reductions and reprioritisation, including measures to mitigate risks, discussions with allied donors, and coordination to fill bilateral gaps.
- Develop clear strategy for Government engagement with UK civil society—diaspora groups and NGOs—to complement ODA priorities and rebuild public case for development assistance.
- Adopt fifth essential shift: 'From unfamiliarity to understanding' in communication around UK aid activities, emphasising mutual benefits and preventative role of ODA.
- Establish Global Education Programme to help new generation understand overseas assistance, Sustainable Development Goals, and inspire citizen action.
- Ensure FCDO has seat on British International Investment board for necessary Government oversight; increase transparency of BII portfolio investments and evidence of marginalised benefit.
- Sustain, not diminish, parliamentary and Independent Commission on Aid Impact scrutiny—particularly of multilateral spending; reform multilateral bodies to centre voices of developing country partners in decision-making.
- Invest in FCDO staffing and systems to achieve cultural and process changes required for reorienting bilateral programming around the four shifts; synchronise FCDO2030 skills audit with multilateral management expertise needs.
- Centre women and girls front and centre of decision-making; ensure disabled people, older people, and LGBTQI+ communities are included in programming, not sidelined by funding cuts.
Tone
CriticalTopics
official-development-assistanceinternational-developmentaid-strategymultilateral-organisationspoverty-alleviation
Key actors
Sarah Champion, Baroness Chapman, Yvette Cooper, David Lammy, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, British International Investment, Independent Commission on Aid Impact, International NGOs sector
Notable line
“… the level of detail on how various priorities and approaches will work together for a coherent policy, and the evidence base for the decisions that have been made, is woefully inadequate.”
Key Quotes
“Despite reductions in Official Development Assistance (ODA), the UK still has potential to contribute toward a stable, prosperous and resilient world.”
“The Government needs to present its evidence base for these shifts. It needs to show how these shifts interact with each other, and with the increased focus on the UK's multilateral mechanisms for delivering ODA.”
“There has been criticism around the lack of evidence on how this mechanism, which has received £880 million ODA in the year 2024/25, 14 ensures that investments are tangibly benefitting the most marginalised.”
“This approach is not new, and it is unclear why it should be privileged. Indeed, large scale technical assistance has been highlighted as one of the worst practices in foreign aid [ … ].”
“A narrow focus on simply exporting UK expertise is likely to promote a paternalistic image of the UK and achieve little lasting change.”
“Using ODA for in-country refugee costs is the antithesis of this proactive and strategic approach to aid.”
“It is vital that, as the UK Government rethinks aid policy in a very different global setting, no-one is left behind and that, in particular, women are put front and centre of the decision- making processes.”
“… the level of detail on how various priorities and approaches will work together for a coherent policy, and the evidence base for the decisions that have been made, is woefully inadequate.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗