On Tuesday, the Private Members Bill that is seeking to enshrine the UK’s commitment to spending 0.7% of gross national income on overseas aid in law passed the next stage of the legislative process.
You’ll remember that RESULTS grassroots campaigners, and campaigners from across the international development sector teamed up to get the Bill through the ‘Second Reading’, as part of the ‘Turn Up, Save Lives’ campaign. on the day 166 MPs turned up to vote in support of the bill.
Well, after that success, the Bill moved to the ‘committee’ stage, at which a group of MPs from all parties, both those in support and those opposed, discuss the ins and outs of the bill and consider amendments proposed by MPs.
Well, without getting too complicated, the Bill has now passed this stage with a couple of amendments, neither of which affect the key principle of making it law for any UK Government to spend 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid.
This is great news, and one more key step on the road to it becoming a law.
The Bill will now go back before the House for the ‘Third Reading’ on December 5th: and again it is do or die. We are going to have to work together again, with partners from across the sector, and with all of our campaigners, to ensure that enough supportive MPs turn up and vote to help the bill move forward.
So mark the date – December 5th- because we’re going to be going all in to help the bill pass.