K.

Remained a global leader.

Projects like this.

Working with some of the world's poorest people not only helping developing nations but spreading british soft power.

It's a reputation said to be in serious danger.

The whole sort of slogan of global Britain that's dust and its dust because we've given it away.

F.

C.

D.

Or the U.

K.

Government used to be a big power housing development which with the last funding cut they have been marginalized.

That's because last year there were massive cuts to the foreign aid budget from 0.7% of our collective national income down to 9.5%.

It meant that projects all over the world had their funding reduced or removed entirely.

Four million Children actually graduated from primary school through this supported program of UK government that has been reduced by almost 75%.

Indeed right across the aid sector projects have been canceled in july.

The Foreign Office paused everything deemed non essential because of fears that money would run out.

But there is one area of foreign aid spending that has grown massively and it's actually happening here in the UK Newsnight has learned that the government is funding the entire cost of housing Ukrainian refugees from the existing overseas aid budget.

The U.

K.

Is thought to be one of the only countries taking this approach and the cost associated with it are huge save the Children think they could be as high as £3 billion this year.

I've spoken to an official here at the Foreign Office.

They say that figure is accurate indeed it could go higher still.

It's absolutely massive.

So the sheer number of refugees coming from coming from Ukraine and the sheer rightful generosity of our support to them is in danger of drowning out the entire support that we give to actually give in four countries.

I wouldn't be a tool surprise if we actually haven't budgeted how much we're spending.

And other countries around europe who are also hosting refugees, they're doing the right thing.

They're not taking it from their foreign aid budget.

Although it's worth pointing out classifying help for refugees as foreign aid spending is within the international rules.

What's that money spent in the U.

K.

It's not spent on supporting UK citizens.

I think it's it's good and really positive that we're supporting Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.

But as I say, we are very much doing our bit overseas aid is an often controversial area, which is maybe why it's usually so carefully monitored, including by Sarah Champion and her committee.

But she says not this time from the Home Office, we have no idea what they're spending, how much they're spending.

What ring fence.

What isn't.

So I think all of us should be concerned about that because it is taxpayers money that they're spending.

But for others an old Adage remains true.

Well, my view is very much that to coin a phrase charity starts at home in that sense in the current climate, with all the challenges we face.

My constituents will certainly want to see that funding spent at home and they certainly won't be happy to see taxes rise or to see money given away.

When, as I say, they're not able to access some of their basic services they expect locally.

Of course, it's not just Ukrainians who are being supported in this country.

In 2021, the home office spent nearly a billion pounds supporting Afghans and other people who crossed the channel in small boats, all of which came from the foreign aid budget.

The government acknowledge it's causing problems.

In a statement, they said across government, there are significant pressures on the North 0.5% od a budget due to the costs of accepting refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as wider migration challenges.

We remain one of the largest global aid donors, spending more than 11 billion in aid in 2021.

And UK aid has recently gone towards helping those in need in the Horn of Africa and Pakistan.

But I'm deeply concerned.

Last week, former Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell returned to his old brief in a move that surprised and delighted the sector in equal measure.