HC Deb 25 July 1997 vol 298 cc758-9W
Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons it is not her policy to set a target date for reaching the UN target of 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product for official development assistance; and if she will make a statement. [9195]

Clare Short

As I have repeatedly made clear, we are committed to reversing the decline in the proportion of our GNP spent on development assistance, which was 0.52 per cent. and rising in 1979, is now 0.27 per cent. and almost halved under the previous Administration. My policy is to reverse the decline in our spend rather than make false promises and continuing cuts, as did the previous Government.