Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Cryer Excerpts

Wednesday 8th June 2011 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)]

1. By what means he plans to assess levels of fraudulent use of aid in fragile and conflict-affected states.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Andrew Mitchell)]

The Government are committed to spending 30% of UK aid on conflict-affected and fragile states where the millennium development goals are most off track. We have a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and other abuse and all our programmes include safeguards to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent properly.

[John Cryer]

A very high proportion of that taxpayers’ money flows through the EU. Is the Secretary of State satisfied that that EU money is being properly used and accounted for?

[Mr Mitchell]

About a third of that money goes to the European development fund, which scored highly in the multilateral aid review, and that suits Britain’s interests because around 40% of it goes to Commonwealth countries and we contribute only 17%. The money spent through the budget is £800 million, over which we have much less control, and we are seeking to ensure that it is better deployed.