Overseas Aid Secretary Priti Patel today vowed to clamp down on wasted foreign aid to ensure more funds can go towards crises like the Syrian civil war.
The Cabinet minister spoke out following a claim that more than £5 million of UK taxpayer’s cash was being given to support a girl band in Ethiopia, a figure disputed by the Department for International Development, which said only part of the sum was allocated to the band.
The department also faced criticism for channelling huge sums of money through the World Bank for development projects.
Ms Patel defended the work done through the World Bank and other aid schemes supported by Britain.
However, she said: “We have to ensure maximum value for every penny we spend... UK aid is making a real difference on the ground and making us safer at home.”
She stressed that she would continue to push “effective institutions” like the World Bank to be more transparent.
