Official Development Assistance 2021-04-20
2021-04-20
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP inquired about discussions regarding international development aid during the G7 presidency, highlighting concerns over Britain's commitment to ODA.
What recent discussions have there been with G7 counterparts on global flows of official development assistance? The focus is on supporting responses and recoveries from covid-19. In particular, are there concerns that despite chairing the G7 in a pandemic, when international aid has never been more crucial, other countries like Germany, France, and the US have increased their ODA spending while Britain cuts humanitarian aid leading to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths?
Foreign Secretary and junior Ministers, including myself, speak regularly with G7 counterparts about official development assistance. The most recent bilateral conversations on international development were held with French Foreign Minister Le Drian and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi. As G7 president this year, we support work towards a sustainable, inclusive recovery, and the agenda for May's meeting includes sustainable recovery discussions. We remain a superpower in development based on OECD data for 2021; UK will spend more percentage of GNI on ODA than US, Japan, Canada or Italy in 2021 and will still allocate £10 billion to ODA this year.
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Assessment & feedback
The answerer did not address the specific concern about Britain's commitment to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA as promised, focusing instead on maintaining a positive stance on current aid commitments and comparing to other nations without acknowledging deviations from previous promises.
We Remain An Active Internationalist Nation
Based On Oecd Data
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP questioned the UK government's adherence to its promise of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA, noting that despite being chair of the G7 during a global pandemic, other nations have increased their ODA while Britain has cut humanitarian aid.
Are there concerns about the UK's commitment to official development assistance when other countries are increasing theirs? The MP highlights Germany's adherence to 0.7%, France's embrace of it, and America's $15 billion increase in spending while Britain cuts aid leading to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths among women and children.
I do not accept what my right hon. Friend is saying. The UK remains a development superpower, spending more percentage of GNI on ODA than US, Japan, Canada or Italy in 2021 and allocating £10 billion to ODA this year. We will return to 0.7% when fiscal situation allows.
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Assessment & feedback
The answerer did not address the specific issue of breaking manifesto commitments on ODA spending, focusing instead on current aid allocations and future intentions without acknowledging the deviation from previous promises.
Based On Oecd Data For 2021
Remain An Active Internationalist Nation
Response accuracy