Supporting International Development

It is 50 years since Harold Macmillan, a Conservative Prime Minister set up the Department for International Development.  We should be proud that Britain has led the way on the issue of international development and that the work carried out by successive Governments has had such a positive impact on millions of people across the world.

 

During the next four years the Government will get 11 million children from the poorest parts of the world into education and ensure access to safe drinking water for 15 million people.  In addition to this 10 million women who have never had access to family planning will do so.  I believe that this kind of aid is hugely beneficial to both the recipients and to Britain.  It is in our interests to promote political stability in other nations and to prevent the spread of disease. 

 

However, this is not to say that we shouldn’t question and monitor the work of this Government Department closely to prevent wasteful spending.  We have stopped aid to China which recently spent billions hosting the Olympics and Russia which is a member of the G8 and has a powerful economy of its own.  We have cut down on the costs of running the Department as well, reducing a number of costly practises such as regular use of first class travel.

 

Spending money on international development will always be contentious, particularly during difficult financial times but there are thousands of people alive today who wouldn’t be if it were not for this investment. Diseases such as typhoid and polio have been almost eradicated because of this expenditure. All this has a huge benefit for Britain. I don’t claim that every penny spent has gone directly to where it needs to go but that shouldn’t make us give up this valuable investment.