Spending Review 2020

Debate between Baroness Sheehan and Baroness Barker

Thursday 3rd December 2020 Grand Committee

[Baroness Sheehan (LD)]

My Lords, the Chancellor says that,

“during a domestic fiscal emergency … sticking rigidly to spending 0.7% of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people”.

I wonder: with what evidence does he so impugn the British public? The most recent edition of the World Giving Index, commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation and compiled by Gallup, puts Britain at number six globally and the second most generous country in Europe after Ireland. I suggest to the Minister—or the Chancellor—that, rather than having to justify helping the world’s poorest to the British public, the cut to the aid budget is in fact to pacify the right wing of his party, to the extent of breaking a manifesto pledge.

That is a shame, because evidence from diplomats to the Commons International Development Committee says otherwise. The former UK ambassador to Jordan, Peter Millett, said:

“Our aid programmes certainly enhanced our influence.”


The former UK ambassador to Yemen, Frances Guy, said that the UK’s aid

“counts towards general respect for the UK in multilateral institutions and gives the UK a bigger voice in multilateral meetings”.

It is not just the diplomats. The noble and gallant Lord, Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, said that our 0.7% aid commitment sends

“a strong signal that the UK is a reliable partner for long-term economic, social, environmental and educational advancement across the globe”

and that this is

“cheaper than fighting wars”.

Those sentiments were echoed by the noble Lord, Lord Dannatt, in your Lordships’ House just last week.

The architects of this reprehensible decision have shown that they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Barker) (LD)]

My Lords, once again I call the noble Lord, Lord Loomba.