§ 37. Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the time it will take to achieve the United Nations' target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product of developed countries being spent as aid to underdeveloped countries.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe shall reach the target as soon as possible.
§ Mr. GriffithsI invite the Minister to be more specific. Will he dare to say that the target will be reached by the end of the Government's term of office? Does he agree that if the target is not met it would be a disgrace to a developing and prosperous country such as ours?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI shall certainly give no such indication. When the Labour party was in government no such indication was given. It is impossible to bind a future Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is amazing that the hon. Gentleman is not prepared to accept how important it is that this year our spending on aid increased by 3 per cent. in real terms over last year's. Next year, there having been a tremendously stringent round this year, there will be a 1 per cent. real-terms increase on this year's spending.
§ Dame Elaine Kellett-BowmanDoes my hon. Friend agree that the best way in which we can help developing nations is, first, to encourage them to stop killing one another and, secondly, to encourage them to make the best use of their own resources?
My hon. Friend will know of my particular interest in the Cahora Bassa dam. Now that the people of Mozambique are at peace, will he make every effort to assist in the repairing of the power lines from the dam? The work is due to start in April 1993 if finance can be found.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI am happy to give my hon. Friend further information about what is happening in that area, in correspondence as I am not briefed today on the precise position. It is the Government's intention to help people to help themselves, and we have a substantial aid programme. We should bear in mind the great importance of a successful GATT round. That will increase world trade and help the third world.
§ Sir David SteelHowever long it was going to take the Government to reach the United Nations aid target, will the Minister confirm that it will now take longer following the financial settlement for 1995–96?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI cannot possibly say how long it would have taken if we had not had the financial settlement for 1995–96, so I cannot possibly answer the question.
§ Mr. Jacques ArnoldDoes my hon. Friend agree that if we were to add our net contribution to the European Community budget, which goes largely to the underdeveloped countries in the southern part of Europe, our spending on aid would far exceed the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI know that my hon. Friend feels strongly about the matter. The United Nations target of 0.7 per cent. is directed towards the section of the world which, when defined in terms of gross domestic product, would not include the southern states of the European Community.