§ 50. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Lord Privy Seal what representations he has received from the General Synod of the Church of England on the United Kingdom overseas aid programme; and what reply has been made.
§ Mr. Neil MartenWe have been informed of the motion recently adopted by the Synod requesting a restoration of the planned cuts in aid and calling for substantial progress towards the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent. of GNP.
We have explained that the Government's first priority must remain the restoration of this country's economic health by firm efforts to control inflation. This has involved a rigorous reappraisal of all public expenditure programmes, including the aid programme. Our future contribution to the developing world depends on this economic revival.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes not the Minister recognise that a greater danger to world peace arises not from nuclear proliferation so much as from grinding world poverty? How does the hon. Gentleman or anybody in the Government defend the protection of the defence budget from all forms of cuts while there is progressive and repeated cutting of the overseas aid programme?
§ Mr. MartenThe defence budget was cut in various ways. However, it is the first duty of any Government to see that the country is properly defended.
§ Mr. WhitneyDoes my hon. Friend agree that the economies of the less developed countries will be helped much more by the private investment flows and trade opportunities that they are offered than by direct aid from developed countries? Does he further agree that in those two respects Britain scores only second to the United States in the world league table?
§ Mr. MartenI entirely agree with my hon. Friend, and thank him for making that comment.
§ Mr. DalyellTo take the most selfish argument, does not the restoration of our economy depend at least in part on some prosperity in the Third world?
§ Mr. MartenThat remark illustrates the point in the Brandt report about the interdependence of the world, with which I entirely agree.