Committees demand transparency on costs to taxpayer for Rwanda scheme

Article summary

The Public Accounts Committee’s Chair, Dame Meg Hillier MP, and the Home Affairs Committee’s Chair, Dame Diana Johnson MP, have jointly written to Home Office Permanent Secretary, Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, requesting information on how much additional taxpayers’ money has been spent on the Rwanda scheme. This follows a letter by Sir Matthew on 7 December 2023, which revealed that a further £100m has been paid to the Rwandan Government as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund. The Chairs have noted that the lack of notice and the timing of the Sir Matthew’s letter ‘shows an extreme lack of respect’ for the two Committees, and that the answers that both Chairs requested regarding the scheme have still not been addressed. They have requested Sir Matthew’s presence at the Public Accounts Committee on 11 December 2023 and have asked for the National Audit Office to look into costs of...