UK Government's planned cuts to Overseas Aid
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WQ.97/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 8th MARCH 2021
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 15th MARCH 2021
Question
Will the Minister advise what actions, if any, have been taken to discourage the U.K. Government's planned cuts to overseas aid, reported to be in excess of 60% for some regions in desperate need?
Answer
Jersey has not taken action to discourage the UK Government's planned cuts to overseas aid.
Jersey does not have jurisdiction over the UK's budgets and how they seek to balance their economy, pay for the pandemic and their considerable contribution to producing a vaccine which is now available globally. I should also point out that the UK's contribution to overseas aid will still be 0.5% of GVA which is above the OECD average and above Jersey's contribution of 0.26%.
That said, we, along with our partner organisations are dismayed by the announcement and the speed the UK intends to make their proposed cuts.
Conversely, during the pandemic Jersey has reversed the decline in our own aid budget. We have formally tied our budget to GVA and over the course of the Government plan we have agreed to annual increases of 0.01% thus demonstrating the importance we attach to being a good global citizen, especially in a time of crisis.