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The investment arm in the UK government for international development has spent more than 7 million pounds on business classes in the past two years, according to newly unveiled data.

British International Investment (BII), which receives and owns taxpayer financing Ministry of Foreign Affairs3.5 million pounds on business class trips to employees in 2024 and 3.7 million pounds in the previous year, government responses to freedom of information requests by the Financial Times exhibition.

This included more than 1,100 business trips during 2024, including more than 65 return trips that cost more than 6000 pounds for the ticket.

According to BII’s annual accounts, the number of employees increased by more than 200,000 pounds by fifth during the year 2023, which is last year in which the numbers are available. This prompted more than a quarter of its 506 employees in this payment chip. In the same year, the number of employees jumped more than 400,000 pounds from one to five.

BII expenses to travel from the business category and the great wage height comes with the growth of pressure on the aid budget in the United Kingdom, while the departments are required to do so Determining possible cuts As part of the spending review.

Representatives and activists criticized spending By the organizationWhich invests throughout Asia, Africa and the Caribbean Sea region to try to address Development challenges By supporting the growth of the private sector and innovation.

“I am concerned to see an organization with funding from taxpayers to reduce poverty that extends to high bills and great expenses,” said Sarah Batal, Chairman of the International Development Committee of the House of Commons.

The Labor MP added that “while government departments face serious financial challenges, BII must clarify the reason for providing such generous salaries.”

The committee is currently conducting an investigation into a value in exchange for the funds “light [that] Champia said that the UK must have an impact on every pound spent on help.

“It is slow for BII to waste limited aid in the United Kingdom on luxury trips and inflated salaries during ODA [official development assistance] Budgets are reduced all over the world. “

It has highlighted that Bond had “has long wondered whether BII was providing a real influence in low -income countries,” adding: “There is little objective evidence that BII investments are doing more to finish people from poverty or pay permanent change compared to Compared to the existing development financing.

BII said that in a “stable case”, it could have been “completely self -financing”, which requires only government capital to expand its activities.

British international partnerships – Parents Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – are scheduled to receive 1.15 million pounds this year from the government aid budget, which is expected to go to the vast majority of BII.

BII has partnerships that include more than 1500 companies, invested in ports and renewable energy factories, as well as companies such as medical companies. Like other development financing institutions, BII faced criticism for not focusing heavily on poverty treatment.

The 2023 report issued by the International Development Committee “The Grand Bii Concentration” for investments in medium -income countries, which warned that it “does not seem to be targeted towards the poorest and most marginalized people.”

Andrew Mitchell, the Minister of Development, under the previous governorate government, responded to an investigation by unveiling a new goal for the Bii’s annual budget to go towards the poorest and most fragile countries by the end of the decade.

The report also called on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to increase its supervision in the BII and take an uncontrolled seat on the BII panel. FCDO rejected the recent proposal, saying he does not believe that he would enhance BII governance arrangements or outperform the risks of those present.

BII said the organization takes the value of taxpayers for money “very seriously.”

He added: “Over the past decade, BII has achieved about 1.3 billion pounds on behalf of the UK’s taxpayer, with millions of people living in some of the most deprived places in the world. Our operating costs are only 1.5 percent of our wallet obligations Its total is 9.3 billion pounds.

“The reward levels have been set to enable and retain individuals through the skills and technical experience that enable BII to accomplish its mission. Employees only get higher performance payments if we meet our influence goals and provide a financial return on taxpayers in the United Kingdom.”

Commenting on their spending on flights, BII said: “Employees in the business degree fly on long -term flights to ensure that they are able to work effectively on their journey.”

“BII is independently independent of the UK government and covers operating costs by the profits it achieves in its investments. This guarantees that BII provides good value for money for taxpayers in the United Kingdom.”