Public backs rise in overseas aid

from The Guardian

Heather Stewart

Voters vastly overestimate the share of taxpayers' money spent on overseas aid - and when they find out the true figure is less than 2 per cent, many believe that it should be increased.

In a survey of more than a thousand people, carried out by pollsters ICM for the charity Action Aid, respondents guessed that the government spent an average of 18.5 per cent of its budget on developing countries. After being told the real amount the government spends - 1.3 per cent in the last financial year - 35 per cent thought it was 'too little'.

'Public support for more and better aid is strong and not easily shaken,' said Action Aid's Jesse Griffiths. 'People told us they want more public debate about aid.' The findings came after the OECD's annual snapshot of overseas aid across the rich world showed that the G8 countries are at risk of breaking their pledge, made at the Gleneagles summit in 2005, to double their spending by 2010.

Action Aid called on the German government, which will host this year's G8 summit in June, to use the meeting to ensure that all the member governments live up to their promises.

'Two years ago the G8 promised to double aid to Africa by 2010. Britain's contribution to that increase has strong public support. But with just 101 days to this year's summit, several G8 countries still have not said how they plan to increase their aid to the promised level,' Griffiths said.