Marsha de Cordova MP stands up for children with disabilities in the House of Commons

Last week in the House of Commons, Marsha de Cordova MP – Patron of Able Child – raised the importance of needing assurances that programmes supporting children with disabilities will be funded during a debate over the impending cuts to the UK’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Committee (IDC), posed the question of whether the British public really wanted the UK to step back from the international stage and the ability to support some of the most vulnerable in the world.

Marsha de Cordova’s crucial intervention added:

“…the Government’s Disability Rights and Inclusion Strategy was going a long way in supporting children with disabilities through healthcare and social protections.”

“But does [Sarah Champion] agree with me that unless we get clear assurances, many millions of children with disabilities will end up suffering greater loss.”

Sadly, Sarah Champion was unable say that the UK will be able to continue funding disability-focussed development in the future. She said:

“The work the FCDO has done to protect the most vulnerable and I am particularly thinking about people with disabilities [and] people in marginalised communities is exemplary.”

“But I cannot stand here and say that we will be able to continue funding that. I do not think it will be technically possible.”

And this was no surprise given the UK Government’s shock decision last week to reduce ODA spending from 0.5% to 0.3% as of GNI – the lowest level of development spending in 25 years.

Time and again, millions of children with disabilities who are among the most vulnerable in the world, are left behind through short-sighted and dangerously counterproductive decisions such as these.

Able Child welcomes the debate on ODA cuts and thank both our Patron Marsha de Cordova MP and Sarah Champion MP for highlighting the disproportionate impact these cuts will have on the world’s most vulnerable.

Able Child remain deeply concerned about the effect these cuts will have on children with disabilities and urge the UK Government to review the ODA cuts and provide details on how they will ensure children with disabilities do not suffer greater loss.