Oral Answers to Questions

Wendy Chamberlain Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Quin]

I am grateful for that invitation. I am speaking to north-east defence companies on a call next week. Our ability to make physical visits to companies has clearly been restrained by covid, but as soon as my diary allows, I would be delighted to visit Cook Defence Systems in person.

[Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)]

What recent estimate his Department has made of the level of departmental official development assistance spend.

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey)]

The Ministry of Defence is forecast to spend £5.58 million on official development assistance in 2020.

[Wendy Chamberlain]

Back in April, the International Development Secretary commented that there should be regular reviews at ministerial level of what different Departments were doing with their official development assistance. In the light of the upcoming merger between the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will the Minister set out what conversations he has had with the Foreign Secretary about ensuring that any official development assistance programming from his or other Departments is transparent and subject to scrutiny?

[James Heappey]

The hon. Lady is exactly right. Development and security sit hand in hand and, as such, knowing that a review is ongoing, we are looking at exactly where development activity is essential to the security function that our armed forces are seeking to provide overseas. We will be making the case for that spending to remain unchanged.