UK to take more control over where aid goes

LIZ Truss will overhaul the foreign aid budget so that Britain hands out more money itself rather than through international organisations.

The Foreign Secretary will unveil a new overseas development strategy next week that will take greater control of how taxpayers’ money is spent.

As part of this, Miss Truss will slash the sums given to organisations such as the United Nations and World Bank. The cash will be redirected to British-led programmes, giving the Government a bigger say over how it is used.

More than £4.4billion of the £11.5billion spent on foreign aid last year was distributed through international bodies.

Miss Truss will set a target to reduce the amount going to multilateral organisations so that it accounts for just a quarter of the Foreign Office’s aid spending by 2025, down from almost 40 per cent at present.

The focus on schemes managed by the UK will ensure money goes on key priorities including ending violence against women and providing humanitarian support in places such as Ukraine.

A source close to Miss Truss said: ‘Spending money directly with countries on British-led projects means we can fund priorities that matter to Britain.’