§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress they have made in their first full financial year in office in reaching the gross national product targets for international development aid recommended by the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Development Assistance Committee and the European Union. [HL1365]
§ Baroness AmosIt has been made clear by the Government that we have increased the international development budget by £1.6 billion over the period 1999/2000 and 2001/02; it is anticipated that this increase will raise the UK's oda/GNP ratio to 0.3 per cent. in 2001.
Aid targets are measured on a calendar year basis. For financial year 1997–98, we lived within the financial ceilings set by the previous administration while we re-ordered our priorities. We inherited a programme which was declining in cash terms and which resulted in 1997 in a UK performance of 0.26 per cent against the 0.7 per cent. GNP target. The 1998 oda/GNP ratio will be announced by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD in June.