ICAI parliamentary event underlines value of scrutiny in a time of aid budget reductions

13 Jun 2025

Commissioners and event attendees in a Parliamentary Committee room
Panel from left to right: Harold Freeman, Evie Aspinall, Danny Sriskandarajah, Liz Ditchburn, Jillian Popkins and Sarah Champion

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) held a launch event for its Fourth Commission in Parliament on Wednesday 11 June, discussing what valuable scrutiny of UK aid looks like in a climate of budget reductions and difficult government choices.

International Development Committee Chair Sarah Champion MP opened the event, underlining the importance of the Committee’s close relationship with ICAI and the complementary roles they play in holding government to account.

Attendees also heard from ICAI Chief Commissioner Jillian Popkins, who introduced the watchdog and its remit, explaining how it seeks to provide high-quality, robust evidence and credible, constructive recommendations that Parliamentarians and others can use in their work.

ICAI Commissioner Harold Freeman then gave a preview of work that is coming up, including reviews of UK aid for clean energy transition, UK aid to Sudan, UK aid to tackle violence against women and girls, the way the UK manages the official development assistance (ODA) budget, and the UK’s partnership-led approach to international development.

Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group, spoke about why transparency matters, especially in the current volatile political climate, in which the UK has been seen as a less reliable global partner following previous reductions to the aid budget.

Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, discussed value for money, as well as the importance of showing what value the UK is adding with its international development spend, and the core values and principles it wishes to project with its policies.

Chaired by ICAI Commissioner Liz Ditchburn, the event was designed as part of an ongoing conversation with Parliamentarians and other key stakeholders on how ICAI can best support them and aid in their scrutiny, to ensure the government learns lessons from previous aid budget reductions and maximises the impact of every pound of development spending in an increasingly challenging global climate.

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