The Government has announced it is to set up a new unit to review safety across all parts of the aid sector in response to the Oxfam scandal.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced the audit after a Whitehall summit with the charity in the aftermath of revelations over its staff using prostitutes, some of whom may have been underage, while working in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

In a strongly-worded statement, Mordaunt said the NGO had made a “full and unqualified apology – to me, and to the people of Britain and Haiti – for the appalling behaviour of some of their staff”.

The minister outlined a series of measures to ensure “the whole sector steps up and demonstrates the leadership that the public expects”, including setting up “a new unit to urgently review safeguarding across all parts of the aid sector to ensure everything is being done to protect people from harm, including sexual exploitation and abuse”.

She added: “This unit will be wide-ranging and comprehensive in its remit, looking at safeguarding across UK and international charities, suppliers, and the UN and multilateral organisations so that together we can make progress.

“This will look at how to guard against criminal and predatory individuals being re-employed by charities and abusing again, including the option of establishing a global register of development workers.”

Earlier on the day, Oxfam’s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, resigned over the scandal.

Oxfam had been previously warned it would have its funding withdrawn if it failed to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues.

Mordaunt, who heads the Department for International Development (DFID), also said she has written to all UK charities working overseas to “demand that they step up and do more” and ensure “moral leadership”.

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