§ Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards meeting the Governments target for expenditure on overseas development as proportion of gross domestic product. [145774]
§ Clare ShortPreliminary estimates on the ratio of official development assistance to Gross National Product suggest that the UK will report a ratio of at least 0.29 per cent. of GNP for the year 2000. This is consistent with the Governments commitment to reach a level of 0.33 per cent. by 2003–04. Provisional data for the year 2000 will become available in April, with final figures confirmed in June.