Inquiry begins into whether £14.6bn UK spends every year on foreign aid is effective use of money 

MPs are to investigate the effectiveness of the foreign aid billions spent by Britain.

The £14.6billion budget has faced criticism, with questions over the legitimacy of the projects it is used on.

During its inquiry, the International Development Committee will consider whether or not the aid makes a real and lasting impact.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, the chairman of the committee, said: ‘The UK is second only to the US in the amount it spends on aid.

‘As one of the few governments around the world that has an independent department of experts with the sole function of delivering aid to those who need it most, it is rightly the envy of many internationally. But we cannot ignore the controversy that has surrounded UK aid for some years, with reports of wasteful spending and a lack of transparency on certain projects.

‘We must show global leadership here and reassure British taxpayers that their money is being well spent, and that the system established to help some of the world’s poorest people is delivering.’

Mrs Champion added: ‘During this inquiry, the committee will hear from experts on how the Department for International Development delivers aid and what – if any – are the implications in eroding its independent status. Our report will be published in June.’

Earlier this year the Daily Mail revealed how a mosque in Egypt has been rebuilt using British aid as millions of pounds are lavished on arts and culture projects abroad.

It was part of overseas development money dished out by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This more than doubled to £8.9million in 2018, up from £4.2million the previous year.

Britain has also increased aid spending in China and India – even as both plan to send missions to the Moon. The countries, which are the two fastest-growing economies in the world, received £150.6million of UK taxpayers’ money in 2018.

Projects funded included a £1.1million scheme to reduce the amount of salt Chinese people have in their diet. In India, aid money went on mobile phone text alerts to tackle problem drinking and a study into whether yoga can be used to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Boris Johnson is under pressure to improve how Britain’s aid is used after he pledged at the election to keep David Cameron’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas development.

The Prime Minister abandoned plans to merge the Department for International Development into the Foreign Office at last month’s reshuffle, although it is thought this could be back on the table as part of a foreign policy review later this year.

Britain’s foreign aid budget rose £493million to reach £14.6billion for the first time in 2018. The UK was the only G7 nation to hit the 0.7 per cent spending target, giving more than double the 0.29 per cent G7 average.

None of the other G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and America – met the spending target.

The UK is now fifth in the league table of the 30 countries that are part of the development assistance committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Top is Sweden at 1.04 per cent, followed by other Scandinavian nations.