Overview

This bill amends the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 to change the reporting period for Official Development Assistance (ODA) from annual to five-yearly. This simplifies reporting and reduces administrative burden.

Description

The core change introduced by this bill is the alteration of the reporting frequency for the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) targets. Instead of annual reports, the bill mandates a five-year reporting cycle. This affects several sections of the 2015 Act. Specifically, the bill changes references to "annual report," "year," and "calendar year" to reflect the new five-year period. The reporting period is to cover a five-year period, starting 2017/18 to 2021/22 and each subsequent five year period. Subsection 1(2)(c) removes the existing definition of “annual report,” and inserts a definition for the new 5 year period. Sections 1 and 2 are extensively amended to accommodate the shift from annual to five-yearly reporting. Section 5(2) is also amended to replace references to "annual" with "five-year". The bill's final clause specifies its commencement date (October 1st, 2016) and its extent (throughout the UK).

Government Spending

The bill is expected to reduce government spending on the reporting and administration associated with the annual ODA target. Exact figures on savings are not provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

• UK Government Departments: Reduced administrative burden in reporting on ODA.
• Organizations receiving ODA: No direct impact on funding, but the reporting requirements for ODA recipients may change.
• Parliamentary Committees: Scrutiny of ODA will occur less frequently but cover a larger time span.
• The Public: Less frequent updates on UK's progress towards ODA targets.

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