Opposition Day — [18th Allotted Day] — Global Poverty — 24 Jul 2007 at 21:46

I beg to move,

That this House reaffirms the cross-party commitment to increase the aid budget to 0.7 per cent. of gross national income by 2013; recognises the ability of effectively organised aid to contribute to sustainable economic development in low income countries; acknowledges the need to avoid imposing over-prescriptive conditions on aid; supports the wider use of tracking surveys and independent accounting as well as increased independent scrutiny of the United Kingdom's aid budget to make the ultimate destination of aid payments more transparent; welcomes the suggestion that donors should work together in partnership trusts to ensure coordination of bilateral aid budgets in each recipient country; and urges the Government to work towards the unilateral removal by the EU of trade barriers against low income countries.

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

"acknowledges the Government's global leadership on international development; welcomes the Government's stated objective to increase the aid budget to 0.7 per cent. of gross national income by 2013; further welcomes the widespread support which this policy has secured; further acknowledges the centrality of effectively delivered aid to low income countries' sustainable economic development; welcomes the Government's untying of aid; supports the United Kingdom Government's moves to establish an independent evaluation mechanism and its increased focus on aid effectiveness, results and impact; and acknowledges that the UK Government is working at the multilateral and bilateral levels to remove the trade barriers which developing countries face and to help them take advantage of new market opportunities through the provision of aid for trade."

Question put accordingly, That the original words stand part of the Question:-

The House divided: Ayes 207, Noes 302.

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