§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the central aim of their overseas aid programme remains, as stated, the reduction of poverty, and if so how they reconcile the expenditure of £234 million on the Pergau power project in Malaysia and all its consequences for the Malaysian people, with a total aid programme of £236 million in 1991–92 to all the 47 Least Developed Countries.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe central aim of the overseas aid programme for developing countries remains reduction of poverty and deprivation, both directly and through income-generation. To this end, the bilateral programme is targeted at the world's poorest countries, defined as those with a per capita GNP in 1991 of less than $765. In 1991–92 over 80 per cent. of bilateral aid allocable by income group, some £610 million, went to these low-income countries. The equivalent figure for 1992–93 was £617 million. I should emphasise that these are annual figures, and cannot be compared with the total allocation for Pergau power project, which is projected to be disbursed over 14 financial years.