News story

Development spending will meet UK鈥檚 promises to world鈥檚 poor while serving national interest

New aid strategy published alongside the government鈥檚 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Britain鈥檚 aid spending will be restructured to tackle some of today鈥檚 biggest global challenges including mass migration, disease, the threat of terrorism and global climate change, the Chancellor George Osborne and Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening have announced today (23 November).

The new strategy sets out how tackling poverty and serving Britain鈥檚 interests are linked and shows how our aid investment can achieve both goals.

Ahead of this week鈥檚 Spending Review, the government has published its new aid strategy, re-affirming its commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on official development assistance (ODA), and setting out how development spending will meet Britain鈥檚 moral obligation to the world鈥檚 poorest and also support its national interest.

The strategy will fulfil the government鈥檚 manifesto commitments and, on priorities such as vaccines, malaria and family planning, will commit to delivering ambitious outcomes which go beyond existing commitments.

The new document, UK aid: tackling global challenges in the national interest also outlines how the government will take further steps to build on the action taken over the last Parliament to cut waste, introduce greater transparency and subject aid to robust independent scrutiny.

A number of significant announcements are set out in the plan, including:

  • a new 拢1 billion commitment 鈥� over five years 鈥� to global public health (the 鈥淩oss Fund鈥�) which will fund work to tackle the most dangerous diseases, including malaria

  • the allocation of 50% of DFID鈥檚 budget to fragile states and regions in every year of this Parliament

  • expansion of the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), supporting the international work of the National Security Council

  • a new 拢500 million ODA crisis reserve to allow greater flexibility to respond to emerging crises, such as the movement of Syrian refugees

In a joint statement, George Osborne and Justine Greening said:

We believe this fundamental shift in how we use 0.7% of our national income will show there is no distinction between reducing poverty, tackling global challenges and serving our national interest 鈥� all are inextricably linked.

We will ensure that every penny of money spent delivers value for taxpayers, and projects that do not will be cancelled.

With this new strategy, Britain can be proud to be a country that not only meets its responsibilities to the world鈥檚 poorest, but in doing so best serves and protects its own security and interests.

Read the government鈥檚 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Updates to this page

Published 23 November 2015