International Development

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 3 November 2009.

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Photo of Ian Pearson Ian Pearson Economic Secretary, HM Treasury 2:30, 3 November 2009

We will not take any lectures from the Conservatives on overseas aid, given that they slashed the budgets year on year. We have seen sustained improvement in the amount of money going to help some of the poorest countries as a result of the 12 years of this Labour Government; indeed, it is one of the things I am most proud of. We have said that we will meet our interim target of 0.56 per cent. by 2010. We are on track to do that, and we will also, as my right hon. Friend Mr. Clarke clearly pointed out, lead the way in having a climate change deal that will help the poorest countries of the world.

Conservatives

The Conservatives are a centre-right political party in the UK, founded in the 1830s. They are also known as the Tory party.

With a lower-case ‘c’, ‘conservative’ is an adjective which implies a dislike of change, and a preference for traditional values.