Oral Answers to Questions

Patrick Grady Excerpts
Tuesday 8th November 2022

(1 year, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
David Rutley Portrait David Rutley
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

As I have already highlighted, Israel is one of our closest partners and we will continue to have a close working relationship with the new Government. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage, ahead of the Government’s formation.

Patrick Grady Portrait Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (Ind)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

What does the Minister for Development think are the biggest challenges to the effective use of the aid budget: the fact that it is facing further cuts, the fact that so much of it is being double counted against Defence expenditure or the fact that, as the Chair of the Select Committee said, it is being increasingly spent in the UK?

Andrew Mitchell Portrait Mr Mitchell
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The aim of the international development budget, every penny of which is spent in Britain’s national interest, is to prevent conflict and to build prosperous societies. That is the aim, and that is what we seek to do with every penny we spend. All that expenditure is completely in the interests of the British taxpayer.