§ 40. Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Lord Privy Seal when the Government intend to publish the preliminary estimate of the percentage aid figure of gross national product for 1980–81.
§ Mr. Neil MartenOfficial development assistance figures are compiled, in accordance with international conventions, on a calendar, not financial, year basis as mentioned in this question.
As the hon. Member is aware, we have explained that technical factors in large measure explain the fall in aid measured as a proportion of GNP in 1980. These are that no IDA VI promissory note was deposited because the 9W previous United States Congress did not ratify the agreement, and that bilateral drawings by certain recipients, notably India, were slower than anticipated. The figure for British net official development assistance in 1980, which is being submitted to the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, totals £752 million, provisionally estimated as equal to 0.34 per cent. of GNP.