Andrew Mitchell International Development Minister was guest speaker at an event organised by Wrekin Conservatives last night.
He is a much travelled minister who only arrived back from Djakarta earlier in the day.
He explained why it is Government policy to continue to give aid to underdeveloped countries. He said that the amount of aid given is much lower than that distributed by Labour who did not monitor it, and they were also giving it to China and Russia, this is no longer the case.
Under his administration the aid is much more closely scrutinised and corruption kept to a minimum.
In justification to giving aid he said that poverty sporns conflict and it is in our own interests, as well as for humanitarian reasons, that we should help poor regions.
The amount of aid given is 1.1 per cent of National expenditure and there is an 88 per cent improvement rate in ensuring that the money is used appropriately.
He was asked about giving aid to India and he said that we only give aid to two Indian states, that it was welcomed by the Indian Government, who have done a huge amount to help their own people, and that India has a huge proportion of the poor people in the world.
He pointed out that giving aid was in effect a cheaper way to prevent conflict than having to use the military, but it is also morally right for us to do it.