§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in meeting United Nations aid expenditure targets.
§ Mr. BaldryIn 1993, United Kingdom net assistance totalled £1,945 million, equivalent to 0.31 per cent. of GNP—higher than the average for all OECD development assistance committee donors of 0.29 per cent. The UN target is 0.7 per cent. Similarly, in 1992, the latest year for which figures are available, the United Kingdom's net assistance to the least-developed countries was 0.10 per cent. of GNP, compared to the DAC average of 0.09 per cent. The UN target is 0.15 per cent.
The Government have not accepted any timetable for reaching these targets. Future levels of aid will continue to depend upon our economic circumstances and on other calls on public expenditure.