Foreign Aid Set To Hit £1 Billion

[ChillDoubt]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2861527/Why-Britain-s-bill-foreign-aid-set-rise-1bn-Cost-taxpayers-set-national-income-risen.html

What? Why? How?
Why does this government and those before it have a propensity for giving away our money on a regular basis, but with eye-watering increases during times of austerity?
Apologies for harping on and I won't post the UKIP Policy link again but this is from it:

Foreign Aid

– UKIP will target foreign aid at healthcare initiatives, inoculations against preventable diseases and clean water programmes with a much-reduced aid budget administered by the Foreign Office.

– British organisations will be offered the contracts to deliver the remaining aid following removal of the EU Procurement Directive.

Again, sounds like common sense to me! Anyone daft enough to disagree?

[janbee]

I totally support the UKIP stance on Foreign Aid. Why do we slosh our much needed money around to countries that a) don't need it b)HATE us and want to kill us c)countries that can afford space programmes/nuclear programmes.? I'm all for helping other countries and people re diseases ,clean water etc but that's it.

[ChillDoubt]

Apologies, it(the foreign aid budget) will RISE by a further £1 billion to a staggering £12.4 billion.
That is frankly outrageous, nothing less.

[RandyMarsh]

it is only money

[ChillDoubt]

This happens regularly in the Trust that I work in:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/three-week-old-baby-left-8212788

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-29549259

My brothers brother-in-law was admitted last Monday with a suspected stroke. After a lumbar puncture and a 16 hour wiat in A&E he was found a bed.
Where is the justification for spending such vast amounts of taxpayers money? It's not as if these other countries gain a massive benefit, get on their feet and the wealth is subsequently shared around, is it?
We gave over £200 million to India last year. Looks like a large chunk of it went on a rocket to Mars!
I'm all for the spirit of human endeavour but not by countries with unbelievable poverty and a burgeoning population!

[Gromit]

UK Aid is fixed at 0.7% of our GDP.

If our GDP roses, Aid rises. If our GDP goes down, Aid falls.

I assume that the new criteria for calculating GDP which put £10billion on our balance sheet, accounts for the rise.

[-Talbot-]

I dislike the mass immigration, we haven't got enough houses, hospitals and schools for those already here.

Foreign Aid...I haven't got a problem with, helping other countries to make better lives for their citizens shouldn't be a problem to anyone ( Giving Foreign Aid and letting it be wasted is a different debate)

[ChillDoubt]

UK Aid is fixed at 0.7% of our GDP.
-----------------
Who decides on the figure? Government? Foreign Office civil servants? Does every other EU or G7 country submit the same?
Genuine question.

[TWR]

What you moaning about? we can afford it, cut the benefits, stop the heating allowance, stop old age pensions, the old *** don't eat in any case, this is the thriving hand out UK, Do you not understand Chill?

[slaney]

Who decides on the figure?
It's a thirty five year old UN commitment
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/press/07.htm

[slaney]

Sorry, 44 year old UN commitment..

[Old_Geezer]

I have no way of calculating what a reasonable amount to earmark for foreign aid should be, but 0.7% of GDP doesn't sound a large commitment to me, regardless the actual figure in £s. Targeting and controlling is important, We don't want to be just increasing the bank balances of those in charge. Paying for British firms to supply/construct seems a sensible tactic.

[Gromit]

Fixing on a % if GDP is a very satisfactory way of allocating money for aid projects.

When the economy is under performing, we spend less on aid. When the economy is booming we pay more.

I have no idea where the 0.7% came from, but if we have been paying that for many years, I assume politicians of all colours think we can afford it. It does not surprise me that UKIP are the exception.

[Svejk]

Doesn't surprise me either, gromit. Because lots of MPs use the revolving door to land plum jobs in lobbying firms and the like, who do very well out of overseas aid.

[Svejk]

I find it quite distasteful that any government or individual borrows money with one hand and gives it away with the other.

[youngmafbog]

Charity begins at home. It should not be to effectively fund someones space program.

Unfortunately MP's of all colours dont get this because they are out of touch with the real world.

[Gromit]

// I find it quite distasteful that any government borrows money with one hand and gives it away with the other. //

The Government currently owe £1.4Trillion in debt. Without borrowing, all the hospitals would have closed long ago, there would be no new roads, railways or bridges.

[youngmafbog]

Yes Gromit, hence the rest of the sentence you appear to have ignored:

and gives it away with the other. //

[Svejk]

I don't consider schools, hospitals, roads, etc. as giving money away, gromit. Do you?

[Gromit]

// Charity begins at home. It should not be to effectively fund someones space program(me). //

And it doesn't. India gives away more aid than it receives.

Often the gift of aid is done as a friendly gesture to a country we want to remain friends with or to influence.