James Cleverly questioned by International Development Committee

James Cleverly questioned by International Development Committee – Bond reaction

Today, Tuesday 20 June, the International Development Committee (IDC) took evidence from the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, during an evidence session looking at the future of UK aid.

In today’s IDC session, James Cleverly admitted that there has been a £1.5billion reduction to the UK aid budget for 23/24, which is a 16% reduction from the previous year. Yet, in 2022 alone, £2.39 billion was spent by the Home Office on refugee processing and accommodation costs.

The Foreign Secretary also admitted that the full FCDO budget for this year has still not been finalised, even though we’re three months into the financial year.

In response to the session, Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said: 

“The government needs to find creative ways to support refugees in the UK and manage unpredictable costs without raiding the already diminished UK aid budget. Having a clear strategy and budget in place to limit both Home Office spending and ensuring ODA quality standards are met would be a welcome start.”