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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Liam Fox challenges government overseas aid pledge | Liam Fox challenges government overseas aid pledge |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A plan to enshrine in law a promise to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas aid has been challenged by Defence Secretary Liam Fox. | A plan to enshrine in law a promise to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas aid has been challenged by Defence Secretary Liam Fox. |
| In a letter leaked to the Times, Dr Fox says he "cannot support the proposal in its current form". | |
| A source close to Dr Fox said the issue was not the level of the target but how best to reflect this in law. | |
| Downing Street said it remained fully committed to implementing its pledge in line with the coalition agreement. | Downing Street said it remained fully committed to implementing its pledge in line with the coalition agreement. |
| The BBC understands Dr Fox's letter was written to Prime Minister David Cameron about five weeks ago. | The BBC understands Dr Fox's letter was written to Prime Minister David Cameron about five weeks ago. |
| The defence secretary said that "creating a statutory requirement to spend 0.7%" on overseas aid could lead to legal challenges and limit the government's options on where money was spent. | The defence secretary said that "creating a statutory requirement to spend 0.7%" on overseas aid could lead to legal challenges and limit the government's options on where money was spent. |
| 'Considered carefully' | 'Considered carefully' |
| BBC Radio 4's chief political correspondent, Norman Smith, says there will be a suspicion that Dr Fox is "irked" that more money is going on overseas projects when he is having to claw back spending at the Ministry of Defence. | |
| "I don't think he is in any way a lone voice within the Conservative Party," he said. "There has been a good number of raised eyebrows at why the government is spending more on overseas aid when MPs are having to explain to constituents why libraries or Sure Start centres are having to close." | |
| He added that Mr Cameron would be "utterly furious" because raising the amount of overseas aid and enshrining it in law was an attempt to "detoxify" the party and show the Tories were not "mean skinflints". | |
| The defence secretary called on Mr Cameron to put the principles, rather than specific commitments, in law following the example set for the military covenant. | The defence secretary called on Mr Cameron to put the principles, rather than specific commitments, in law following the example set for the military covenant. |
| Dr Fox wrote: "I have considered the issue carefully, and discussed it with [International Development Secretary] Andrew [Mitchell] and [Foreign Secretary] William Hague, but I cannot support the proposal in its current form. | Dr Fox wrote: "I have considered the issue carefully, and discussed it with [International Development Secretary] Andrew [Mitchell] and [Foreign Secretary] William Hague, but I cannot support the proposal in its current form. |
| "In 2009 the proportion of national income spent on ODA [official development assistance] was only 0.52%. | "In 2009 the proportion of national income spent on ODA [official development assistance] was only 0.52%. |
| "The bill could limit HMG's [Her Majesty's Government] ability to change its mind about the pace at which it reaches the target in order to direct more resources toward other activities or programmes rather than aid." | "The bill could limit HMG's [Her Majesty's Government] ability to change its mind about the pace at which it reaches the target in order to direct more resources toward other activities or programmes rather than aid." |
| Manifesto promise | Manifesto promise |
| The source close to Dr Fox said: "The defence secretary fully supports the principle of a 0.7% target on international aid. The issue is simply how best to reflect this in law." | The source close to Dr Fox said: "The defence secretary fully supports the principle of a 0.7% target on international aid. The issue is simply how best to reflect this in law." |
| Senior Conservative backbencher Patrick Mercer, who is a former infantry officer in the British Army, says he has some "sympathy" for Dr Fox's position. | |
| "At a time when the armed forces are being cut and cut hard, when they're at war in Afghanistan, Pakistan and indeed in Libya, with other conflicts on the horizon, you can see why the defence secretary is concerned," he said. | |
| When asked about previous leaks from the Ministry of Defence, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that even when the Tories were in opposition, it was the "leakiest department". | |
| Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce, who chairs the international development select committee, said Dr Fox's letter showed precisely why the commitment had to be enshrined in law. | |
| "We have to deliver this commitment and hold to it," he said. "We do not believe we should resolve our economic problems, which were to some extent self-inflicted, at the expense of the poorest people in the world." | |
| He said honouring foreign aid commitments put Britain in a "position of leadership" and enabled "real influence". | |
| The promise to spend 0.7% of national income on aid by 2013 was put in the Conservative manifesto before the last general election and then repeated in the coalition agreement. | |
| Number 10 said it was a commitment that would be honoured. | Number 10 said it was a commitment that would be honoured. |
| A Downing Street spokesman said: "The aid allocation in the Spending Review shows our commitment to implementing our pledge to spend 0.7% of GNI [gross national income] on official development assistance from 2013. | A Downing Street spokesman said: "The aid allocation in the Spending Review shows our commitment to implementing our pledge to spend 0.7% of GNI [gross national income] on official development assistance from 2013. |
| "We are fully committed to enacting the 0.7% commitment into law, in line with the coalition agreement." | "We are fully committed to enacting the 0.7% commitment into law, in line with the coalition agreement." |