HC Deb 05 November 1970 vol 805 cc434-5W
77. Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government has to reduce the degree to which official overseas aid is tied.

Mr. Wood

The Government support in principle the reciprocal untying of aid by donor countries and are taking part in the drafting of a scheme for this purpose by the Development Assistance Committee of O.E.C.D.

78. Mr. Rose

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the level of overseas aid to reach 1 per cent. of the national income.

Mr. Wood

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 23rd October, we shall do our best to reach the 1 per cent. target by 1975.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government will now formally commit themselves to reach by 1975 the annual overseas aid target of 1 per cent. of gross national product as recommended by the Pearson Report.

Mr. Wood

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose).

80. Mr. Douglas

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the relative percentages of private and public aid envisaged in the Government's overall target of 1 per cent. of the national income going to overseas aid.

Mr. Wood

No. The Government have undertaken to do their best to reach the 1 per cent. target by 1975, but are not committed to any particular division of the target between private and official resource flows.