Autumn Statement for Foreign Aid UK

Chancellor’s Autumn Statement: aid commitment on track

In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor George Osborne reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reach an aid spend of 0.7% of the UK’s Gross National Income (GNI) by 2013.

The Chancellor’s statement is a further acknowledgement of the critical role aid plays in improving the lives of the world’s poor, according to Bond – an organisation representing aid agencies including World Vision UK. 
 
Bond Chief Executive Lyndall Stein said: “We welcome the announcement that the Government will stand firm on its commitment to increasing its aid expenditure to 0.7% of GNI by 2013. While donor nations debate the future of aid at the High Level Forum in Busan it is encouraging to see the UK Government underlining its commitment to supporting the world’s poor.
 
“However, the UK’s overall aid spend will not increase at the rate previously stated due to a reduction in the growth forecast for the UK economy as a whole. Therefore we call on the Coalition Government to make sure this drop in predicted aid spending does not affect the vital work of the Department for International Development and its partners and will be adjusted once the economy starts growing again.”  
 

30 November 2011