Patel under fire for lack of ‘coherent’ aid spending

FOREIGN aid spending is not “consistent or coherent” and the Department for International Development lacks strategy, MPs have warned.

In a report published today, a House of Commons select committee also found that the department (Dfid), which is tasked with spending 0.7 per cent of the UK’s GDP every year on helping the poorest around the world, had a “lack of strategic guidance”.

The International Development committee, made up of cross-bench MPs, warned it “remains concerned” about the failure to put in place a strategy for overseas support cash.

The MPs also found that staff cuts in the department are making it harder for money to be spent well. The report said: “While DfiD is generally doing good work, it is not necessarily doing so in a consistent and coherent manner due to the lack of strategic guidance provided at an operational level.

“We understand that there is a fine line between prescription and the flexibility which DfiD needs to work effec- tively, but believe that DfiD should be doing better in this regard.”

The MPs also cast doubt on claims made by Priti Patel, the Secretary of State, about the levels of waste present in aid spending. It highlighted how she had spoken of aid money being “stolen” and “wasted on inappropriate projects” but when asked to explain she “could not put a figure or a percentage on the amount”. The committee challenged Ms Patel to “lead the department in a way which displays the value for money and great impact of good UK aid spending”.

It said: “We would urge the Secretary of State to ensure that assessments of what is and is not wasteful spending are based on evidence and robust reviews.”