HC Deb 27 May 2004 vol 421 c1725W
Tom Brake

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received in the past 12 months in relation to the target for spending 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on development, broken down by type of representation. [175793]

John Healey

The Government have received the usual representations on all subjects relating to official development assistance (oda). Data on the numbers and types of representations are not held centrally in the format requested.

Since 1997 the UK's level of oda has increased in real terms by 93 per cent. It reached 0.34 per cent. of Gross National Income (GNI) in 2003–04, and is expected to exceed the EU target of 0.39 per cent. for member states in 2005–06. The UK remains committed to the UN target of 0.7 per cent. oda/GNI and to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Tom Brake

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in drawing up spending plans in the 2004 Comprehensive Spending Review, he will treat funds committed through the International Finance Facility as counting towards the target of spending 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on development. [176034]

John Healey

The results of the Spending Review will be made public in due course. The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules on the eligibility for official development assistance (oda), and it will be a matter for the DAC to decide what contribution IFF monies would make towards the UK oda/GNI level. The precise arrangements for the operation of the International Finance Facility (IFF) are still the subject of discussions between the UK and other interested governments.

The IFF has been designed to front-load the aid to reach the $50 billion extra per year that it is estimated is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). On current trends few of the MDGs will be met by the target date of 2015, and many will remain off-track without increased investment by donor countries. By delivering aid now, when it will have the most impact, the IFF will be able to provide the world's poorest countries with the funds they desperately need.