Richard has been a Member of the International Development Select Committee since May 2005.

The International Development Committee (IDC) is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for International Development and its associated public bodies. The Committee also takes an interest in the policies and procedures of the multilateral agencies and non-government organisations to which DFID contributes.

The International Development Committee was created in 1997 in response to the creation of DFID (from what had formerly been the Overseas Development Administration).

The website for the Committee is: www.parliament.uk/indcom where you can find up-to-date information on current inquiries.

In the current session of Parliament (2007-8) the IDC has published the following reports:

1. DFID Annual Report 2007
2. Development and Trade: Cross-departmental working
3. Work of the Committee in 2007
4. Reconstructing Afghanistan
5. Maternal Health
6. DFID and the World Bank
7. DFID and the African Development Bank
8. Scrutiny of Arms Export Control (2008)
9. Working together to make aid more effective
10. The World Food Programme and global food security
11. The humanitarian and development situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
12. HIV/AIDS: DFID's New Strategy

Previous reports are available online here

• Effective debt relief for poor countries (7 Sep 2009)
  Effective debt relief for poor countries - Lots of constituents have been in touch to let me know they support the campaign to 'End the vulture culture' led by the Jubilee Debt Campaign. The campaign is calling for regulation of vulture funds to prevent them buying up the defaulted debts...
  
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• World Aids Day (1 December 2008)
  ‘The UK must seize all opportunities to harmonise efforts to tackle the AIDS epidemic which continues to have a devastating impact in the developing world’, Richard Burden MP has said today on World Aids Day. Yesterday, ahead of World Aids Day, the International Development Select Committee – of which Mr...
  
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• Palestine Report published (24 July 2008)
  Richard welcomes the publication of the International Development Committee report on the Humanitarian and Development Situation in the Occupied Palestine Territories ‘The international community must seize new opportunities to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and help to help achieve a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine’, Richard Burden MP...
  
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• Maternal Health Report published (2 March 2008)
  ‘More must be done to improve maternal health in developing countries’, Richard Burden MP has said on Mother’s Day. Welcoming the publication of the International Development Committee Report on Maternal Health Richard, a member of the Committee, said: ‘It is Mother’s Day today – and so it is very timely...
  
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• Afghanistan Report published (14 February 2008)
  ‘We are right to be in Afghanistan’ Richard Burden MP has said today. Welcoming today’s publication of the International Development Select Committee Report on Afghanistan Richard, a member of the Committee, highlighted that the international community has a responsibility – and also a vested interest – to assist Afghanistan to...
  
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