Devex: Cross-government aid spending ‘not set in stone,’ says Mordaunt
“The head of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development has said the plan to spend 30 percent of U.K. aid money through other government departments is ‘not set in stone,’ and hinted she would not be afraid to reclaim DFID’s money if necessary. Speaking in an evidence session before the International Development Committee on Wednesday, Penny Mordaunt said she was broadly supportive of non-DFID agencies spending official development assistance, but that so far the money has not all been well spent…” (Edwards, 5/3).

The Guardian: Penny Mordaunt told to ‘get a grip’ over use of aid budget by rival departments
“Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, has been told to ‘get a real grip’ on aid spending amid questions over millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money going to China. In a testing evidence session before MPs on the International Development Committee, Mordaunt was repeatedly challenged about aid spending by areas of government other than the Department for International Development (DFID). … Mordaunt said that while DFID did not provide aid money to China, the country remained a ‘key partner for us.’ ‘So we will continue to work with them,’ she said. ‘We are particularly pushing them, encouraging them to do more with global health security and to lean in on the humanitarian front’…” (McVeigh, 5/3).