Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what absolute figure and by what percentage the 1987–88 estimate for overseas aid falls short of achieving the United Nations' target for official development assistance of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe United Nations target is based on net official development assistance, which differs in various ways from public expenditure planning figures for the aid programme, and for which estimates for 1987–88 are not available. In 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, net official development assistance fell short of the target by £1,430 million or 55 per cent.
Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Her Majesty's Government's expenditure on overseas aid is spent directly through United Kingdom-based organisations; and if he will name those organisations and the amount spent through each during the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Chris PattenMost bilateral aid grants, apart from those made from the country programmes, are spent through United Kingdom based organisations, and amounted to 13 per cent. of the gross aid programme in 1985–86. The main organisations are listed in table 3 of "Statistics of the British Aid Programme by Financial Year" and in the ODA's "Report on Research and Development", both of which are in the Library of the House.
Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid is spent through European Community aid programmes.
§ Mr. Chris PattenIn 1986 the proportion was 16 per cent. of gross public expenditure on aid.
Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department has taken to ensure that Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid programme does not support projects which are potentially damaging to the environment.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe environmental implications of all and projects are examined before approval. Policy guidelines and check lists exist to assist in this process. Our apporach is set out in more detail in a booklet "The Environment and the British Aid Programme" published earlier this year. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
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Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total amount spent by Her Majesty's Government on aid to overseas countries in each year since 1979 both at 1987 and outturn prices.
§ Mr. Chris PattenGross public expenditure on aid in current and in constant 1986 prices — (the latest available)—was as follows:
£ million £ million Current prices Constant prices 1979 939 1,617 1980 966 1,387 1981 1,184 1,525 1982 1,085 1,297
Contributions at otturn prices (£ million) 1986 prices (£ million) Year General Fund Special Appeals Total General Fund Total 1979 15.800 1.582 7.382 10.0 12.7 1980 4.300 0.691 4.991 6.2 7.2 1981 5.900 1.456 7.356 7.6 9.5 1982 5.900 0.083 5.983 7.1 7.2 1983 6.000 0.069 6.069 6.8 6.9 1984 6.000 0.025 6.025 6.6 6.6 1985 6.300 2.100 8.400 6.5 8.7 1986 6.500 0.238 6.738 6.5 6.7 1987 27.000 25.000 212.000 36.7 311.5 1 Special increase to mark International Year of the Child. 2 Pledged. 3Estimates. Information at 1987 prices is not yet available.