Aid and Development Targets

HC Deb 13 July 1994 vol 246 cc636-7W

Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the targets on aid and development co-operation established by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, by the United Nations and by its agencies, including targets established at the world summit for children, Jomtien education-for-all conference, United Nations conferences on the least developed countries and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development; which of these targets the United Kingdom has accepted; and what progress towards these targets has been made by the United Kingdom to date.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

There are three United Nations targets, accepted by the United Kingdom, for resource transfers to the developing countries. These are:

1. (i) The United Nations Target for total net official development assistance (oda) to all developing countries equal to 0.7 per cent. of GNP. In 1993 United Kingdom net oda totalled £1.9 billion, equivalent to 0.31 per cent. of GNP;
2. (ii) the United Nations target for total official and private flows to developing countries equal to 1 per cent. of GNP. In 1992, the United Kingdom spent 0.89 per cent. of GNP on total flows; and
3. (iii) the United Nations Target for net oda to Least Developed Countries (LLDCs) equal to 0.15 per cent. of GNP. In 1991–92 the United Kingdom spent an average of 0.10 per cent. on net oda to LLDCs. (United Kingdom aid to India and Pakistan, two of our largest country programmes, does not score against this target even though both countries are poorer than many LLDCs).

The world summit for children did not establish specific targets. It did, however, identify goals in such areas as child survival and development; child health; basic education, and the protection of children living in difficult circumstances. We were one of the first industrialised countries to publish its national report in response to the summit. The report, published in July 1992 by Command 1984, contains detailed information on the help we are giving to assist children in developing countries through our aid programme. Our commitment to the declaration and plan of action agreed at the summit is borne out in the pattern of activity supported by the aid programme. This programme benefits children directly, through health and education, and indirectly through safe water projects. In the financial year 1992–93 over £180 million or more than 31 per cent. of that part of our bilateral aid which can be allocated by sector, was spent in the social sectors such as education, health care, clean water and safe sanitation.

No new targets were set at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. We have, however, taken an active part in the successful fulfilment of the agreements at UNCED, as expressed in Agenda 21, to restructure the global environment facility, to agree a convention on desertification and to hold a conference on the sustainable development of small island developing states, which adopted an action plan.

We support the shift to basic education for all children, youth and adults which was adopted by the Jomtien conference in 1990. The Jomtien declaration reaffirmed the right of all people to education—and urged countries and donors to allocate more resources to primary education, literary programmes and basic training. The amount we allocate to basic education has increased from £6 million in 1991–92 to around £15 million in 1992–93.