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David Cameron: Aid spending makes PM 'proud to be British' UK commits £375m to help feed world's poorest children
(about 4 hours later)
Prime Minister David Cameron has told delegates at an international meeting he is hosting that aid spending made him "proud to be British". The UK has committed to giving an extra £375m to help feed the world's poorest children.
As part of the UK's G8 presidency, the event aims to get more funding from nations, companies and charities toward African countries' own nutrition plans. The aid is part of a £2.7bn global agreement aimed at preventing millions of infant deaths.
Meanwhile, UK church leaders will call on the G8 to tackle tax avoidance by firms working in developing countries. Prime Minister David Cameron led a high-level summit where delegates committed to supporting a historic reduction in "under-nutrition."
They will link the issue to hunger among the world's poorest people. Organisers of a rally in London said 45,000 people turned out calling for global leaders to end world hunger.
The G8 summit brings together the leaders of the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Meanwhile, UK church leaders have called on the G8 to tackle tax avoidance by firms working in developing countries.
The British prime minister has backed a target of saving 20 million children from chronic malnutrition by 2020. Austerity concerns
At the event in London, Mr Cameron acknowledged concerns over UK aid budgets as the country goes through a period of austerity, but said it was equivalent to just 1p from every £1 of tax paid. As part of its G8 presidency, the event in central London aimed to get more funding from nations, companies and charities toward African countries' own nutrition plans.
The UK committed an additional £375m of core funding. The Department for International Development added that if other donors raised £560m, it would would match this at a rate of 2-1, which would see an extra £280m paid from 2013 to 2020.
Mr Cameron backed a target of saving 20 million children from chronic malnutrition.
Under-nutrition is a chronic lack of nutrients that can result in death, stunted growth and in a lower resistance to illnesses in later life.
It is the biggest underlying cause of death in under fives in the world, responsible for 8,000 child deaths each day.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said under-nutrition was stopping children and countries from reaching their full potential, accounting for the loss of billions of dollars in productivity.
"A strong and healthy workforce is vital if a country's economy is to prosper," she said.
"The commitments secured today will help transform the life chances of millions of children and pregnant women by ensuring they get the right nutrition at the right time, securing greater long-term economic growth and prosperity for all."
Mr Cameron acknowledged concerns as the country goes through a period of austerity, but said international aid was equivalent to just 1p from every £1 of tax paid.
He insisted that Britain was "out in front" in reaching the target to give 0.7% of GDP because its people are concerned with trying to help those who are suffering in other countries.He insisted that Britain was "out in front" in reaching the target to give 0.7% of GDP because its people are concerned with trying to help those who are suffering in other countries.
"We accept the moral case for keeping our promises to the world's poorest even when we face challenges at home," he said."We accept the moral case for keeping our promises to the world's poorest even when we face challenges at home," he said.
"When people are dying, we don't believe in finding excuses. We believe in trying to do something about it.""When people are dying, we don't believe in finding excuses. We believe in trying to do something about it."
He highlighted Band Aid, Live8, and Red Nose Day, and the public's generous response to appeals to disasters abroad. Earlier he highlighted the public's generous response to appeals to disasters abroad.
"It says something about this country. It says something about our standing in the world and our sense of duty in helping others. "In short - it says something about the kind of people we are. And that makes me proud to be British," he said.
"In short - it says something about the kind of people we are. 'Tax havens'
"And that makes me proud to be British." Meanwhile, the leaders of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales have joined international charities in a campaign called "If...", warning that displacement of small farmers from their land, unfair terms of trade and tax avoidance all contribute to hunger among the poor.
Mr Cameron said it is important for governments and businesses to do things differently to try to beat hunger in the developing world. Speakers at the Big If London rally included the Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams - who led a minute's silence - the Homeland actor David Harewood, film director Danny Boyle and a video message from David Beckham.
Earlier, the UK's International Development Secretary Justine Greening said the goal should be not just to feed people in developing countries, but to change the way the food industry works in those countries. A colourful visual petition, made up of 250,000 spinning flowers, was also installed in Hyde Park, the charity Save the Children saying their petals represented the millions of children who die because of malnutrition each year.
'Be more generous' In a video message, The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby urged campaigners to keep up the pressure on world leaders to tackle global hunger.
The leaders of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales have joined international charities in a campaign called "If...", warning that displacement of small farmers from their land, unfair terms of trade and tax avoidance all contribute to hunger among the poor. He told activists: "We've come to celebrate the opportunity we have to end hunger in our lifetimes.
Tens of thousands of people are expected at a rally in London's Hyde Park during Saturday afternoon. "The only way that's going to happen is by mass movements of people, like yourselves, getting together."
Speakers will include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who set up "If..." with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Charity Action Aid published data last month showing that at least three of the companies attending the meeting with the prime minister, all of which have extensive operations in the developing world - Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Vodafone - have subsidiaries in numerous tax havens.
Mr Gates told the BBC: "We need to be more generous and we need to pay attention to what's going on in these poor countries.
"If they were living in our neighbourhoods obviously we would reach out and help them and that's why today's event is so important."
Mr Gates said interventions that ensure children are fed in their first two years would "cut down on childhood death and it will allow their brains to develop and break the cycle of poverty so these countries will have kids who can be educated and over time take care of themselves".
Charity Action Aid published data last month showing that at least three of the companies attending the meeting with the prime minister, all of which have extensive operations in the developing world - Unilever, Glaxo Smith Kline and Vodafone - have subsidiaries in numerous tax havens.
Action Aid campaigns for companies to pay more tax in developing countries.Action Aid campaigns for companies to pay more tax in developing countries.
The charity stressed that the use of tax havens did not in itself prove tax avoidance, but did highlight the extent to which multinational companies operated in places that provide tax advantages.The charity stressed that the use of tax havens did not in itself prove tax avoidance, but did highlight the extent to which multinational companies operated in places that provide tax advantages.
The three named companies all told the BBC they paid the taxes due in the countries in which they operate. Vodafone said the Action Aid research was flawed and misleading.The three named companies all told the BBC they paid the taxes due in the countries in which they operate. Vodafone said the Action Aid research was flawed and misleading.
Mr Cameron has said countering tax avoidance is a priority during this year's British presidency of the G8 group of leading industrialised nations.Mr Cameron has said countering tax avoidance is a priority during this year's British presidency of the G8 group of leading industrialised nations.
Mr Gates would not be drawn on whether malnutrition could be linked to tax avoidance, but said it is important "that developing countries come up with good tax regimes, because over time they will be more responsible".
As well as claiming the lives of three million children each year in the developing world, malnutrition stunts the growth and affects the brain development of others - impacting on the economic prospects of whole nations.
World hunger is expected to be a prominent issue when G8 leaders gather between 17-18 June in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.World hunger is expected to be a prominent issue when G8 leaders gather between 17-18 June in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.