International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill 2014-15: progress of the bill

The International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill 2014-15 (Bill 14 of 2014-15) was introduced on 2 July 2014 by Michael Moore MP.

This note focusses on developments in the House of Commons since the bill’s introduction – more information on the bill can be found in the Library briefing prepared ahead of the bill’s second reading: Research Paper 14/48 International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill.

The bill would enshrine the 0.7% aid target – of spending at least 0.7% of national income on aid – in legislation.

The bill also contains provisions for the scrutiny of aid spending. These were changed in committee by an amendment from Michael Moore and the Government. The bill now requires that the Secretary of State make arrangements for the independent evaluation of aid. The previous version of the bill would instead have created a specific new body to carry out independent evaluation of aid spending, but it was argued that this function is currently carried out by Parliament, including the International Development Committee, and by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.

The report stage debate and third reading took place on 5 December and the bill was passed by 146 votes to five. It had its first reading in the House of Lords on 8 December.