Aid target to stay, Raab insists

DOMINIC Raab has insisted there is ‘absolutely no chance’ of the foreign aid target being abandoned.

The Foreign Secretary dismissed as ‘tittle tattle’ claims the £15billion budget could be cut to pay for more defence and intelligence spending. Mr Raab said the target to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid was a manifesto commitment written into law.

Asked if the target would survive as the Department for International Development was merged with the Foreign Office yesterday, he said: ‘Oh absolutely.’ But it is understood the Chancellor is looking at what counts as aid ahead of the upcoming spending review.

Mr Raab said the UK’s development expertise would be ‘the beating heart’ of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

He added: ‘ODA (Official Development Assistance) can already be used for some MoD (Ministry of Defence) related activity.’

Foreign Office minister Baroness Sugg said the budget ‘should not be put at risk and it is not at risk’.