Wendy Morton MP: speeches

Speeches

• 10 Sept 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  T5. One of my constituents served His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for 43 years, yet more than five months on from taking partial retirement she is still waiting for her pension and lump sum. My office has attended two casework surgeries with Capita and the Cabinet Office, neither of which has secured a resolution. My constituent is now paying additional mortgage interest because of the delays. Will the Minister meet me urgently to resolve this case, secure a payment date and ensure that my constituent is compensated for the financial losses incurred?

• 1 Sept 2026 · Direction of Government · Hansard source

  More

  Over the summer, the Prime Minister opposed development on green spaces in his constituency, saying: “It offers no benefit to the local community and will place huge strain on local infrastructure.” My constituents face the same pressures, so will he commit to new and meaningful green-belt protections, to protect those green spaces in both our constituencies; make sure that houses are built only when there has been meaningful consultation with communities, when communities are being listened to, and when infrastructure is in place; and please, scrap the ridiculous “grey belt” definition?

• 1 Sept 2026 · Draft Inter-American Investment Corporation (Further Payments to Capital Stock) (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. Let me start by welcoming the new Minister to her position. The Inter-American Development Bank Group is an important source of development finance across Latin America and the Caribbean, and its private sector arm has an important role to play in mobilising investment and supporting private sector-led growth. The draft order, however, authorises a further $25 million of UK taxpayers’ money, taking the UK’s total investment in the Inter-American Investment Corporation to approximately $131 million. It would increase the UK’s shareholding from 0.22% to 1.83%. For the benefit of the Committee, can the Minister confirm to which financial year this relates? Given the pressures on the aid budget, it is right that Parliament seeks clarity about what additional influence and outcomes the investment will secure. My first question is about the decision to provide this additional funding. Can the Minister set out precisely what the additional $25 million will be used for and whether any conditions have been attached to it? What assessment has the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office made of the additional development impact this investment will deliver compared with alternative uses of that funding? Secondly, what has the UK sought to achieve through the corporation’s new strategy and capital increase? The Government say the increased shareholding will strengthen UK influence and representation at board level. It would be helpful to understand more about that. Can the Minister set out what priorities the UK has pressed for, how far those priorities have been reflected in the corporation’s plans and how the Government intend to use that greater influence? The corporation is implementing a substantial programme of reform, including its new originate-to-share model, which is intended to mobilise significantly greater levels of private capital. We welcome the efforts by multilateral development banks to use their balance sheets more effectively and to crowd in private investment, rather than continually relying on additional taxpayer funding. Can the Minister update the Committee on the progress of those reforms? In particular, what improvements do the Government still believe are required on efficiency, accountability and value for money? What assurances have they received that the increase in the corporation’s capital will genuinely leverage additional private finance, rather than simply expanding the institution itself? Finally, there must be clear accountability for results. The explanatory memorandum refers to a new impact framework and institutional scorecard alongside FCDO annual reviews. What specific measures will the Government use to judge whether that additional investment has been successful, and how will Parliament be able to scrutinise those results? If the corporation falls short of its targets, what mechanisms does the UK have to press for change? His Majesty’s official Opposition recognise the importance of mobilising private investment to support growth and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, but additional contributions to multilateral institutions must demonstrate clear value for money, measurable outcomes and alignment with the UK’s strategic interests. We will oppose this delegated legislation today, but the Government must provide clear answers to the questions I have raised, and they must justify and explain further the reason for this contribution. I look forward to the Minister’s response.

• 7 Jul 2026 · UK Aid Policy: Global Funding Trends · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) on securing this important and timely debate. As ever, he brings considerable knowledge and experience on development issues and, importantly, an understanding that the world in which we deliver development has fundamentally changed—as indeed do a number of other speakers today, not least my constituency neighbour, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir Andrew Mitchell). I think it is fair to say that few in this place have the depth of knowledge that he brings to the debate. Today, the international landscape is defined by conflict, instability and strategic competition. Russia continues its illegal invasion of Ukraine. Sudan has become the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe. Fragility stretches across the Sahel and the horn of Africa. China is using finance and infrastructure investment to expand its geopolitical influence. At the same time, donor budgets across western democracies are under increasing pressure. Against that backdrop, Britain must ask a simple question: how do we ensure that every pound we spend overseas delivers the greatest possible benefit for the British people—our national security, our prosperity and health—as well as for the recipients? That is why we Conservatives believe the debate should not simply be about the size of the aid budget; it must be about reform. Following the Government’s decision to reduce ODA from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI, the spending review allocated £8.9 billion in ’27-28 and £9.4 billion in ’28-29. We believe it is right to go further, reducing ODA to 0.1% of GNI, and delivering almost £7 billion of savings across those two years, to help fund the sustained increase in defence spending required in today’s far more dangerous world. But reductions in spending alone are not enough; they must be accompanied by genuine reform. That is where I fear the Government have failed to provide the meaningful clarity that we deserve. After two years in office, Ministers continue to speak of moving from donor to investor, yet we still do not know what that means in practical terms. I gently point out that it was almost a decade ago that the Conservative Government published a strategy for how to do economic development. Can the Minister explain what criteria are now being used to determine whether a programme represents value for money and serves Britain’s national interests? Which programmes have been cancelled? Which partnerships have been scaled back? Which priorities have been strengthened? What measurable outcomes will the Government use to judge success? I believe the British taxpayer deserves answers and so do we, as parliamentarians. The Conservatives’ approach is clear. We believe Britain’s development mission should be redefined. Development assistance must be tightly focused on advancing Britain’s economic interests, national security and wider strategic influence. That means asking of each and every programme whether it strengthens Britain’s security, supports economic resilience, helps to prevent instability, counters authoritarian influence or creates stronger, long-term partnerships.