'Transparent aid' promise

AN INDEPENDENT watchdog is to oversee Britain's overseas aid spending as the government seeks to "squeeze every last ounce of value" from its £7.3 billion budget, the new international development secretary has announced.

Under a new "transparency guarantee", Andrew Mitchell promised to provide UK voters and citizens in recipient nations with details of exactly where his department's cash goes. And he said he had set in train the creation of a new watchdog to keep tabs on spending and ensure their money is well spent.

Mr Mitchell said: "To the British taxpayer, I say this – our aim is to spend every penny of your money wisely and well. We want to squeeze every last ounce of value from it.

"And I promise you as well that in future, when it comes to international development, we will want to see hard evidence of the impact your money makes."