Mitchell announces aid watchdog
By politics.co.uk staff
A new international watchdog will be set up to help British taxpayers understand how their money is being spent abroad.
International development secretary Andrew Mitchell told a Royal Society audience that taxpayers would also be able to scrutinise spending through the UKaid transparency guarantee.
“We need a fundamental change of direction – we need to focus on results and outcomes, not just inputs,” he said.
“Aid spending decisions should be made on the basis of evidence, not guesswork. That is why we have taken the first steps towards creating a new independent aid watchdog.
“The UK Aid Transparency Guarantee will also help to create a million independent aid watchdogs – people around the world who can see where aid money is supposed to be going – and shout if it doesn’t get there.”
Mr Mitchell said maternal mortality and disease prevention were the priorities for British international development spending.
He argued aid represented value for money as it paid for five million children to go to school – roughly the same number as go to primary school in Britain.
“Development is good for our economy, our safety, our health, our future,” he added.
“It is, quite simply, tremendous value for money: the best return on investment that you’ll find anywhere in government.”
The announcement was welcomed by charity ActionAid UK’s director Richard Miller, who had campaigned for greater transparency.
“It will hopefully establish a new standard of openness and encourage scrutiny by citizens in countries receiving UKaid, as well as assuring UK taxpayers that aid is reaching the poorest,” he commented.
