Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what regulations her Department have put in place to ensure that Official Development Assistance is allocated appropriately and does not benefit extremist groups.

The Department for International Development has a robust set of measures in place to protect, prevent and detect the diversion of development assistance to terrorist and extremist groups, and to ensure that UK aid reaches those for whom it is intended. These measures include rigorous controls throughout the funding cycle, from comprehensive risk assessments and monitoring requirements for all programmes, to due diligence checks on partners, and regular internal and external audits. The risk that UK aid funds could be diverted to benefit proscribed extremist groups, or terrorist groups or activities, is fully assessed as part of DFID’s risk assessment process before any funding is approved.

The Department has a zero-tolerance approach to the diversion of aid to extremist and terrorist groups. DFID complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with this legislation.