SOUTH Swindon MP Julia Drown has called into doubt the Government's commitment to tackle world poverty.
In the House of Commons this week, she highlighted the fact UK aid levels lag far behind international targets despite the Prime Minister promising he would make the battle against deprivation a key goal of his leadership.
Ms Drown raised the issue during Prime Minister's Questions.
She asked: "In this year's spending review will the government be showing that it really is at the forefront of tackling global poverty by setting a timetable to achieve the UN target for 0.7 per cent of GDP in international aid?
"If Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have been doing this for 20 years, why can't we?"
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was left to answer the query. He refused to make any promises about boosting cash aid.
He accepted aid levels were not as high as the UN require, but said recent increases had set it on the right track.
He said: "We have increased aid from 0.2 per cent to 0.4 per cent. "It doesn't reach the target but it is going in the right direction."
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