I support the United Kingdom maintaining its 0.7% spending target on international aid.
Last year, with Damien Green MP, I wrote “the post Brexit and post Covid world Britain faces means that Global Britain must be more than a slogan. Our commitment to recognise our international responsibilities and to extend our influence through smart power. Therefore, we recommend that the UK’s legal requirement and moral responsibility to spend 0.7% of our GDP on international aid be maintained. Covid and the resulting economic decline has had a disproportionate impact on the developing world, meaning this is a time when the UK’s support is most needed."
The Speaker of the House of Commons ruled that Andrew Mitchell MP’s amendment to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill was outside the scope of the Bill. Therefore, there will be no vote on this amendment today.
It may be the case that a similar amendment is added to the Bill by the House of Lords, which the House of Commons would then consider. I will carefully assess the effectiveness of any amendment presented to the House of Commons.