Kevin Brennan MP Welcomes More Cash for Poorer Countries
Kevin Brennan MP Welcomes More Cash for Poorer Countries: 8th July 2002 Kevin Brennan, the MP for Cardiff West, has been told by Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development, that the proportion of the UK's GDP spent on international aid has risen since the General Election of June 2001.

In a reply to a Commons Question from Mr Brennan, Ms Short announced that in 2001

‘UK official development assistance was 0.32 per cent of gross national income (GNI) – up from 0.26 per cent in 1997.' The International Development Secretary further disclosed that the Government will

‘significantly raise the amount of our development assistance and its share in national income, in the next spending round' which is to be announced next week.'

In welcoming the reply, Mr Brennan said that:

‘the continuing rise in overseas aid spending demonstrates the commitment of the Labour Government to the world's poorest people. This increase shows that after years of decline, we are now well on the way to reaching the UN target of raising overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of national income.

‘Since Labour first came to power in May 1997, the UK has played a major role in securing the commitment of the European Union to raise international aid contributions. At the recent Financing for Development Conference in Monterrey, Clare Short persuaded the EU to raise its development assistance from 0.32 per cent of national income to 0.39 per cent by 2006 – an extra $7 billion per year.'