International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill

As the Minister has said, this is the money resolution for the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill promoted by the right hon. Member for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill (Mr. Clarke). The resolution and the Bill would, if passed, require the Department for International Development to report annually, directly to Parliament and in a transparent and accountable way, on its progress towards achieving 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product—with which we agree—and on the effectiveness of its aid programmes in alleviating poverty. The money resolution is concerned with authorising expenditure for those aims, and I acknowledge that this debate should not extend to the related Bill. However, I would like to place on record that the Conservatives support the general principles of the Bill, and were pleased that it was given an unopposed Second Reading. As I am sure the House is aware, the resolution lays down the maximum charge—which amendments may reduce in scope, but not extend—either of the amount of expenditure or of the area of its operation. We understand and hope that the Government intend substantially to amend the Bill to widen its scope and extent to include many of the provisions raised on Second Reading by Members on both sides of the House. I am pleased that this may be the case, but, as things stand, we have yet to see any Government amendments, so it is extremely difficult to know how extensive the changes might be. I am worried that the Government’s delay in tabling their amendments—required by the rise of the House today in time for the Committee on Wednesday—makes it difficult not only for there to be proper scrutiny of the money resolution, but for us to table our amendments, as we expect the Bill to be greatly altered.