Theresa May 'frustrated' with rules on spending overseas aid cash

May is "frustrated" with international rules that stop British aid cash being used to help victims of Hurricane Irma.

Theresa May 'frustrated' with rules on spending overseas aid cash

Theresa May is "frustrated" with international rules that stop British aid cash being used to help victims of Hurricane Irma and the UK was pushing to change them, Downing Street said.

Number 10 insisted the UK's aid effort had not been hampered by the rules set by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development based in Paris (OECD).

But the Prime Minister's spokesman made clear Mrs May was not happy with the way the rules were operating and stressed that International Development Secretary Priti Patel was leading work to change them.

The spokesman said the OECD rules do not "stop Britain dedicating the money needed for the hurricane recovery and reconstruction effort".

"The response would have been just as large and swift regardless of the aid rules," the spokesman said.

But he added: "The Prime Minister is frustrated with the rules as they stand."

The UK has pledged a total of £57 million towards disaster relief and the public has helped to raise a further £1.3 million.

But an unnamed minister told the BBC the figure would have been significantly higher without strict international rules governing the allocation of the £13 billion aid budget, a claim disputed by Downing Street.

Anguilla, Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands do not qualify for support from the pot because their incomes are too high.

The way Britain and 34 other developed nations spend their aid budget is governed by the OECD.

Countries are given a ranking according to need, which is intended to ensure the poorest countries take priority.

The UK is committed to spending 0.7% of national income on aid under the rules set by the OECD.

The Tory election manifesto committed to working to change the rules.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "We began detailed work after the election to change the rules to prevent precisely these kind of scenarios."

He indicated the UK could be prepared to act alone if there was no agreement on changing the international rules.

"What we are working on at the moment is changing the rules at the OECD, but the manifesto set out that if that wasn't possible we could look at changing the rules here and that remains the case."

PA

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

France asks for foreign help with massive Paris Olympics security challenge France asks for foreign help with massive Paris Olympics security challenge
Biden ‘working to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia’ Biden ‘working to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia’
Bodies of Easter pilgrims still inside bus that crashed off South African bridge Bodies of Easter pilgrims still inside bus that crashed off South African bridge
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited