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Cameron says UK to 'meet promise' to world's poor David Cameron says UK to meet promise to world's poor
(about 5 hours later)
David Cameron has insisted the UK will fulfil its promise "to the poorest people of the world" on providing aid.David Cameron has insisted the UK will fulfil its promise "to the poorest people of the world" on providing aid.
Conservative backbenchers are expected to try to block a bill later that commits the UK to spending 0.7% of national income on international aid. Conservative backbenchers are expected to try to block a bill on Friday that commits the UK to spending 0.7% of national income on international aid.
The prime minister said actually meeting the target was "much more important" than passing a law on it.The prime minister said actually meeting the target was "much more important" than passing a law on it.
New figures suggest that over two years the UK will have to spend a billion pounds more than originally planned. New figures suggest that over two years, the UK will have to spend £1bn more than originally planned.
The aid pledge was in both the Lib Dem and Conservative general election manifestos and was part of the 2010 coalition agreement.The aid pledge was in both the Lib Dem and Conservative general election manifestos and was part of the 2010 coalition agreement.
Lib Dem ex-cabinet minister Michael Moore's International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill aims to make it a legal requirement, and will be debated on Friday. Lib Dem ex-cabinet minister Michael Moore's International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill aims to make it a legal requirement.
But critics, led by Tory MPs Philip Davies and Jacob-Rees Mogg, have tabled a host of long amendments which could see the Commons run out of time to debate and vote on the bill. But critics, led by Tory MPs Philip Davies and Jacob-Rees Mogg, have tabled a host of lengthy amendments that could see the Commons run out of time to debate and vote on the bill.
Mr Cameron said: "We will continue to meet the promise that we made to the poorest people of the world that we would make this aid pledge and meet this aid pledge and we've done that. Some ministers have questioned the value of enshrining the 0.7% pledge - which dates back to a United Nations aspiration in the 1970s - into law. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called it a "bizarre idea" recently.
"But I think the meeting of it is much more important than the legislation about it. It is a private member's bill but nonetheless there will be support for that bill which I'm confident will probably go ahead." But Mr Moore said the passage of the bill "mattered" to help save lives. "Today's the day to to make a long-term commitment to the UN target for development aid," he tweeted.
Ahead of the debate, Mr Cameron said: "We will continue to meet the promise that we made to the poorest people of the world that we would make this aid pledge and meet this aid pledge and we've done that.
"But I think the meeting of it is much more important than the legislation about it. It is a Private Member's Bill but nonetheless there will be support for that bill which I'm confident will probably go ahead."
'Increasingly unaffordable''Increasingly unaffordable'
The Financial Times reported calculations by the Office for Budget Responsibility that found an extra £1bn would have to be spent on aid this year and next, because of raised estimates for national income. The Financial Times reported calculations by the Office for Budget Responsibility that suggested an extra £1bn would have to be spent on aid this year and next, because of raised estimates for national income.
Mr Davies told paper: "It is completely ludicrous, at a time when we are borrowing so much money, that we are committing ourselves to an arbitrary figure that is increasingly unaffordable, on the basis of a recalculation." Calculations of how well the UK economy has performed in the past were revised up earlier this year after new methodology was used to determine total output. This meant spending on activities such as drugs, prostitution, as well as research and development, were included for the first time.
A Treasury spokesman said: "We are confident that existing spending plans are consistent with our aid commitments." This change has had implications for a range of UK budgetary commitments based on national income, such as the UK's contributions to the European Union and its expenditure on overseas aid.
Mr Cameron added that help for vulnerable countries like Afghanistan was directly in the UK's interest, and that it had already "significantly reduced" the number of threats to domestic security. Mr Davies told the FT that it was "completely ludicrous, at a time when we are borrowing so much money, that we are committing ourselves to an arbitrary figure that is increasingly unaffordable, on the basis of a recalculation".
But a Treasury spokesman said: "We are confident that existing spending plans are consistent with our aid commitments."
Mr Cameron added that help for vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan was directly in the UK's interest, and that it had already "significantly reduced" the number of threats to domestic security.
He said: "The aid payments that we make - keeping a commitment which we made in our election manifesto - is an important part of keeping us safe and secure in the United Kingdom."He said: "The aid payments that we make - keeping a commitment which we made in our election manifesto - is an important part of keeping us safe and secure in the United Kingdom."
Labour has long backed giving the 0.7% aid pledge a legal basis, arguing that this makes it less likely that future governments would abandon it.
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage told LBC Radio that foreign aid was an "arm of foreign policy" and the annual budget should be reduced by £9bn, with only "genuine" humanitarian schemes continuing to be funded.