ALT “I welcome the NAO's comprehensive examination of whether the FCDO responds effectively to humanitarian crises. "The report made clear that as resources tighten, the FCDO must do more to address the inevitable limitations in its approach to ensure the long-term effectiveness and value for money of its crisis response function. International Development Committee

ALT “The International Development Committee’s recent report assessing the value for money of the UK’s aid budget reached similar conclusions; stressed the importance of long-term development in preventing crises before they start. As the world gets ever more unstable, and crises more regular, we will continue to scrutinise the Government’s progress in this area.” Sarah Champion, Chair Photo is of Sarah Champion MP, she has bobbed brown curly hair and is wearing a white jacket.

ALT “I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s words about violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the measures announced to advance peace and security in Israel and Palestine. The Foreign Secretary is right to state that expansion and violence is illegal and a fundamental threat to the viability of a two-state solution, and to a sustainable peace settlement.

ALT “We have previously called on the UK Government to take a greater stand on violence against Palestinian communities, and I’m encouraged that it is now moving in the right direction. While there is clearly still further to go, I hope that today’s actions will prove to be a vital stepping stone towards long-term peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.” Sarah Champion MP, Chair

ALT “The Minister rightly states that international aid both supports those in extreme poverty and boosts our security at home. However, I’m disappointed that that she could not go further and explicitly say that the Government is committing to ODA spending at 0.3% of GNI for the duration of the spending review period.  International Development Committee

ALT “This ambiguity sits awkwardly with what I was hearing at last week’s Global Partnerships Conference. The Foreign Secretary spoke purposefully about how global partnerships can drive international development to prevent crises in the first place and we saw a new Compact setting out how we will strengthen international cooperation to meet the global challenges that lie ahead." Sarah Champion, Chair

ALT Photo shows the Chair of the International Development Select Committee with David Mundell MP (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association host) and Baroness Chapman, Minister for International Development and Africa with the South African delegation.

ALT “As we get to grips with aid budgets falling worldwide, both my Committee and the UK’s aid watchdog have now raised serious concerns about the impact on some of the world’s poorest people, particularly in fragile and conflict affected states. But the fact remains; currently we only have the

ALT skeleton of the Government’s new approach to aid spending. The IDC’s future of aid report called for Ministers to put flesh on the bones and I hope that ICAI’s new report will further focus FCDO minds on this task.” Photo alongside the quote shows a photo of the Chair Sarah Champion MP, with bobbed curly hair and wearing a white jacket.

ALT Evidence session. Post-Assad Syria: development challenges and opportunities. International Development Committee. Photo shows the northern city of Aleppo in Syria. There are yellow-stoned buildings, some of which look quite old and historical, some have some damage to them structurally and their brick work. There are trees dotted about the building and roads.

ALT What role do higher education and research partnerships play in the FCDO’s wider development strategy? We’ve launched an inquiry International Development Committee

ALT “Higher education is one of the UK’s most significant exports, while mobilising education and research partnerships has driven significant progress on international development goals. With reduced budgets, how will the FCDO use higher education and research partnerships to further progress on their new development goals?” Sarah Champion MP, Chair

ALT Evidence session. The UK's International Climate Finance. International Development Committee. Photo shows a coastline in Jamaica, there is the sea in the background, palm trees in the foreground and dark rain clouds looming in the sky.