HL Deb 11 June 1999 vol 601 cc175-6WA
Lord Clarke of Hampstead

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What official development assistance was provided by the United Kingdom in 1998 as a percentage of gross national product; and how this compares with the performance of other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee (DAC). [HL2910]

Baroness Amos

As announced yesterday by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, the UK's expenditure on official development assistance (oda) in 1998 is estimated at £2,315 million, representing 0.27 per cent of GNP. This is an increase on the 1997 figure of 0.26 per cent. and reflects the Government's commitment to reverse the decline in UK development assistance. The average oda/GNP ration for all OECD DAC member countries was 0.23 per cent. We will continue our strenuous efforts to also improve the effectiveness of international development programmes.

The figures exclude financial flows to countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe and more advanced developing countries as defined in the DAC list of aid recipients.