The UK’s Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond has rejected the suggestion of a new law to protect foreign aid describing it as ‘bizarre’, despite the fact the legislation was promised in the Conservative general election manifesto and the Coalition agreement.
His recent comments go against Lib-Dem plans to push through legislation that will see 0.7% of the UK’s yearly budget going towards foreign aid, however Hammond stated that introducing this new law would be pointless as the government is already meeting this target, set by the UN.
“Trying to enshrine it in law – it’s a bizarre idea,” Hammond stated during his recent visit to Ebola stricken Sierra Leone. “Somebody says shall we have a law that says you’ve got to build a building. Think about it – in the mean time we built a building. Someone comes along and says now we’ve built it shall we pass the law which says we’ve got to do it? We’ve done it. We’re doing it. You don’t need a law to say we’re doing it.”
A Lib-Dem spokesperson hit back at Hammond’s comments, saying that Hammond had never voiced any concerns about the proposed legislation:
“At no point has Philip Hammond ever raised any concerns about this with us in Government,” they said. “Michael Moore’s bill to enshrine the 0.7% international aid target in law is entirely in line with the policy of the coalition Government. It will provide people in grave need with lifesaving support, and set an example to other wealthy countries.”
Despite his reservations about introducing new foreign aid laws, Hammond also commented on the importance of disaster aid, and the role it plays in preventing global disasters such as the recent Ebola outbreak.
“The scepticism that some people have about the aid budget, which I absolutely recognise… I don’t think has ever been directed at emergency aid,” he said.
“I’ve never detected in Britain at all people saying we shouldn’t be sending food aid or disaster relief or earthquake relief.
“It’s never been that bit of the programme. It’s been the, ‘We’ll invest over two decades in education in India, economic development in East Africa’. It’s that bit of it that people sometimes question.
“But I’m sure the British people always feel very well-disposed to the disaster relief.”
Mr Hammond added: “In the round, people have some questions about the way the aid budget is used and we’ve got to keep making the case that it is in Britain’s interest and we will keep making the case.”
