Overseas Aid Budget

EDM number 288 in 1996-97, proposed by David Alton on 03/12/1996.

That this House affirms the importance of British overseas aid to the developing world; notes that properly targeted aid is a sound investment for the British taxpayer and can assist in preventing conflicts; further notes that despite a commitment from the Government to progress towards the United Nations recommended minimum expenditure of 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product that the overseas aid budget has been continually cut back and deplores the recently announced cut of ú180 million, a sum equivalent to an 8.4 per cent. reduction in overseas aid; and calls on the Government, in the light of current crisis in Central Africa and famine conditions elsewhere, to abandon the proposed cut in overseas aid.

This motion has been signed by a total of 37 MPs.