Speeches by Mathew.

“To keep hammering on this particular topic, a greater proportion of ODA currently goes to middle-income countries, compared to low-income countries. Are there any plans to reverse this trend?”

“Minister, in order for us to understand the extent to which the eradication of extreme poverty is a priority for Government, what do you see as the appropriate balance between using ODA in middle-income countries, in support of diplomatic objectives, and in low-income countries, to combat extreme poverty?”

“Could I come back to this issue of dialogue? You had said, “We have handed that over to the Home Office”. I threw a kind of bone at you—an idea. I am a former aid worker, so I tend to look at things as an engineer and in those ways. Surely there could be some use in some ideas going the other way, especially from a dev…”

“Leading on from that, and this may be something that is of interest, are there any planned milestones or targets in place to reduce the costs of refugees? I want to chuck in on top of this some of my own thoughts, especially on allowing asylum seekers to work while their applications are underway, perhaps with the use …”

“Nick, I will keep you on the spot, if that is all right. The Budget commits to bringing down asylum costs, though it includes no tangible commitment to how this will be achieved. Are the FCDO and Home Office in regular communication about the management of ODA in-donor refugee costs?”

“Is this not perhaps a good reason for thinking about how we re-establish DFID as a separate organisation from the diplomatic side, if you like, in terms of the “Foreign and Commonwealth” bit of the FCDO?”

“Nick, I will keep you on the spot, if that is all right. The Budget commits to bringing down asylum costs, though it includes no tangible commitment to how this will be achieved. Are the FCDO and Home Office in regular communication about the management of ODA in-donor refugee costs?”

“Could I come back to this issue of dialogue? You had said, “We have handed that over to the Home Office”. I threw a kind of bone at you—an idea. I am a former aid worker, so I tend to look at things as an engineer and in those ways. Surely there could be some use in some ideas going the other way, especially from a dev…”

“Leading on from that, and this may be something that is of interest, are there any planned milestones or targets in place to reduce the costs of refugees? I want to chuck in on top of this some of my own thoughts, especially on allowing asylum seekers to work while their applications are underway, perhaps with the use …”

“I had better start by declaring my interest as one of the founders of Radio for a Better World. Baroness Chapman, in what ways does the World Service help amplify the voices of marginalised or vulnerable communities during humanitarian crises?”

“Thank you, It would be nice to know.”

“How about if they are happy?”

“If I can probe with one more question, what mechanisms are in place for local audiences to provide feedback on programming? How is this feedback used to shape future content?”

“How does the World Service engage with local communities to ensure that coverage is relevant and beneficial to them—for example, through its educational content?”

“I had better start by declaring my interest as one of the founders of Radio for a Better World. Baroness Chapman, in what ways does the World Service help amplify the voices of marginalised or vulnerable communities during humanitarian crises?”

“Thank you, It would be nice to know.”

“How about if they are happy?”

“If I can probe with one more question, what mechanisms are in place for local audiences to provide feedback on programming? How is this feedback used to shape future content?”

“How does the World Service engage with local communities to ensure that coverage is relevant and beneficial to them—for example, through its educational content?”

“Jillian, thank you for being here. If you are appointed as chief commissioner, what will your priorities for the Independent Commission for Aid Impact be, in both the short and long term?”