25-10-04

Barrett visits India as part of key Commons inquiry

John Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, will this week visit India as part of a major parliamentary inquiry into the effectiveness of UK aid.
 
The UK Government contributes nearly £200 million toIndiaevery year, where 35% of the country’s 1 billion people live in poverty.  One quarter of the world’s poor live inIndiaand current trends point to increasing problems with hunger and child deaths.
 
Mr Barrett, a member of the powerful International Development Committee, will be meeting with political and community leaders, aid workers and others to see how aid money is being spent.
 
Speaking from India, Mr Barrett said:
 
“The UK’s largest country aid programme is inIndia.  That is why it is so important to make sure aid money is being spent effectively and targeted at the most vulnerable in this country.
 
“There is no doubt that India is making great progress in areas such as employment and education.  However, there are still major problems, such as the exclusion of women and the potential for HIV to threaten the considerable progress already made.
 
“On the basis of the letters I receive from my constituents, it is clear people in the UK are keen to see more money spent on overseas’ aid.  However, they rightly expect that money to be spent as effectively as possible.  Visits like the one the Select Committee is undertaking this week will play a big part in the scrutiny of the Government’s work.”
 
ENDS