Sir,

The UK and other European governments are increasing overseas aid spending and are not, as suggested by Alex Wilks, trying to inflate the figures.

 

As Mr Wilks recognised in his article, Europe’s leaders have been at the forefront of international agreements to increase aid. The UK successfully pushed for the commitments made to the world’s poor at last year’s G8 Gleneagles summit – an extra $50bn a year in aid globally by 2010. These commitments are now beginning to be delivered through bigger aid budgets, and 80% of the extra funds will come from the EU.

 

The UK’s overall aid spending has increased from £2.7bn in 1997 to £5.9bn in 2005, and we’re on track to reach nearly £6.5bn a year by 2007. The UK government has set a clear timetable to meet the UN’s 0.7% target for aid as a proportion of national income by 2013, two years ahead of the EU timetable. We have also proposed the International Finance Facility to frontload aid increases so that faster progress can be made, so we’re doing our bit.

 

The author’s claim that debt relief is not real aid is wrong and would not be accepted by the millions who protested against debt in the run up to Gleneagles. Providing debt relief means that funds are freed to help reduce poverty so that governments can improve health and get more children into school. Last year’s debt deal for Nigeria, for example, will help employ an extra 120,000 teachers and put 3.5m children in school. That is why debt is recorded as aid in statistics for all donors published by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee.

 

I also disagree that spending on climate change and security cannot be considered as aid. Climate change, a global problem, will hit developing countries hardest. The UK will help poorer countries to adapt to climate change so they can withstand this threat, just as we work with them to tackle the effects of killer diseases.

 

Conflict and violence keep people poor and wipe out development. It’s right that we help to improve the security of the poor so they can live in freedom from fear and take advantage of the opportunities of better public services and economic growth. The Development Assistance Committee recognises that peace and security affect poor people’s welfare and poor countries’ economic development. It has agreed guidance for donors on which activities in this area are ODA eligible, including the proportion of contributions to UN peacekeeping operations that can be counted.

 

NGOs have a responsibility to question governments and keep us to our promises – but it doesn’t mean they are always right. What is important is that aid is making a difference to people on the ground and lifting them out of poverty.