HC Deb 03 November 1986 vol 103 cc681-3
54. Mr. Tom Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the figures for United Kingdom expenditure on overseas aid are compiled on the same basis and using the same criteria as the figures for other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Chris Patten)

I am satisfied that the figures for Britain's overseas aid reported to the OECD conform to OECD definitions. The relationship between these figures and those for public expenditure on aid is explained in the introduction to the Overseas Development Administration's publication "British Aid Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library.

Mr. Clarke

Does the Minister recall that in the open letter that was addressed to him by his predecessor, the former Minister said that meetings between himself and the Prime Minister on those matters were few and far between? Will he therefore draw to the attention of the Prime Minister the need not to muddy the waters with regard to the figures by private flows, promissory notes, and so on? Will he distinguish his term of office by aiming unreservedly for the United Nations' target of 0.7 per cent?

Mr. Patten

On the hon. Gentleman's substantive point, I could not add reasonably to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said to him in correspondence that was published on 30 June. I hope that 1 can help to deliver a quality and effective aid programme over the next few years.

Mr. Forman

I welcome my hon. Friend to his new responsibilities at the Dispatch Box. Does he agree that, whatever may be the finer points of the statistical arguments about assistance to developing countries, the important thing is to increase the beneficial flows, and in that respect the private flows are every bit as valuable, when carefully directed, as public flows?

Mr. Patten

I totally accept what my hon. Friend has said. The position of the Labour party on that issue is somewhat schizophrenic.

Mr. Anderson

Does the Minister agree that on whatever basis those figures are compiled they show a disturbing fall year on year from 1979? I refer to that valedictory letter in the Daily Telegraph from his predecessor. Does the hon. Gentleman recall that his predecessor said that the only time that the Prime Minister bothered to speak to him about aid was when she dismissed him? Does the hon. Gentleman expect to meet the Prime Minister more frequently?

Mr. Patten

It would make every day if I saw the Prime Minister regularly. Since 1982–83 our aid programme has been increasing in real terms, and I hope that we can secure the real terms increase in the aid budget.

Mr. Stuart Holland

The Minister will be aware that, according to the OECD, the Development Assistance Committee aid review committee on 18 September was given a detailed account of the project appraisal criteria and procedures followed by the United Kingdom. We understand that that reflected a British initiative. Will the Minister follow that through by making available a copy of that detailed account on project appraisal in the Library of the House?

Mr. Patten

I shall consider what the hon. Gentleman said. I am sure he will also have recognised that the OECD Development Assistance Committee in September welcomed the high concessionality of our aid programme. It also welcomed the relatively large concentration of aid from this country to the poorest countries, which was better than the average elsewhere.