Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 December 2022. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 December 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Caritas and Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the work of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and its affiliated organisation Caritas Internationalis.

Answer: Any partner who is intended to be a direct recipient of FCDO funding must have a documented due diligence assessment in place. A due diligence assessment for a grant recipient determines whether an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) partner has the capacity and capability to manage programme funds and deliver the programme or project objectives specific to the context. Our records indicate that the legacy departments of the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office conducted due diligence assessments on Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Internationalis; however, our records indicate that there has been no assessment since the departments merged to form the FCDO.

Secondary information