Charities
International Development
Steven Baker (Wycombe, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the (a) grant to and (b) use by registered charities of funding from her Department for the purposes of advocacy, lobbying or campaigning; and if she will make a statement.
Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)
As a matter of principle, funding from DFID cannot be awarded to initiatives that involve direct lobbying of the UK Government or of international organisations of which the UK Government is a member. However, funding can be used by registered charities for advocacy work in developing countries where it is an integral part of projects delivering poverty reduction for poor people. This information is already in the public domain, for example in DFID funding guidelines.