Daily Mail: Britain should be ‘proud’ of the country’s £14billion aid bill, says new foreign aid minister Penny Mordaunt
“…[Mordaunt] underlined her commitment to the target of spending 0.7 percent of national income on foreign aid, currently £14billion a year. … Mordaunt said: ‘We have a moral duty to both the people we seek to help, and those who enable us to do so, to provide the best value for money and the most positive impact for every single pound we spend’…” (Martin, 4/12).

Devex: DFID to partner with U.K. finance sector to support development
“…Mordaunt also promised that her department would reflect ‘the priorities of the people,’ in a speech that tried to move beyond recent negative media coverage of the aid sector and linked development work back to British national interests. … Mordaunt also promised ongoing humanitarian assistance where it was needed; a stronger role in leading the fight against disease and ill-health; protections for citizens overseas who are vulnerable to crime and extremism; and efforts to foster new partnerships ‘to share ideas and creativity’ across donor and recipient countries…” (Hargrave, 4/12).

The Guardian: Penny Mordaunt hails U.K. aid as a shield against crime, poverty, and terrorism
“U.K. aid is a shield against pandemics, organized crime, poverty, and terrorism, and an example of British values, Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary has said. … Speaking at the Wellcome Collection in London, … Mordaunt promised better collaboration between government departments and tools that will allow the public to track the progress of initiatives. She also said that a new partnership with the City of London would bring down the barriers to trade and unlock investment for emerging markets in Africa and Asia…” (Ratcliffe, 4/12).

The Telegraph: Taxpayers should be able to see in real time what U.K.’s foreign aid budget is spent on and if it works, says International Development Secretary
“…Penny Mordaunt admitted that there was a ‘lack of trust’ among the public regarding the way money was being spent in the wake of a sex abuse and harassment scandal which hit the charity sector earlier this year. She said the public had the right to know ‘what, where, how, and why’ money was allocated and if it achieved the desired results as she committed the government to greater transparency…” (Maidment, 4/12).