Lords to examine impact of Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development merger
Monday 28 March 2022
On Wednesday 30 March the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee will hear from witnesses in two sessions that look at the impact of the merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) with the Department for International Development (DfID).
The session will start at 10:30am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4A, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be;
10.30am
- Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive, Bond
11.30am
- Lord McDonald of Salford, Permanent Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2015-2020) and;
- Bronwen Maddox, Director, Institute for Government.
Questions will include:
- What is your overall impression of the success of the FCO-DfID merger to date? What are the main ongoing challenges?
- What have been the budgetary consequences of the merger? In practice has it facilitated the transfer of funds from former DfID programmes to non-DfID activities, or are the budgets still ringfenced?
- What light has the war in Ukraine shed on the merging of foreign and development policy and the new department’s ability to handle crises?
- What has been the impact of the merger on delivery partnerships with aid agencies? How has the fact that aid agencies are now working with the main organ of the UK’s diplomatic service affected these relationships?
