How much foreign aid do we give to India each year??

[ProperLush]

Does anyone know?

Someone mentioned it on a AIBU thread about striking so I wanted to know if it's true we still chuck money at an economy in a more robust shape than our own!

Link on aid to India via DfID up to 10/11.

There was talk over the summer about reductions - I'm not sure if anything definite has been done yet.

£279 million last year.....?!

Why, why, why? Why do we give that sort of money to a country that has a SPACE PROGRAM?

I would assume that any aid - and £279m must be a drop in the ocean - is a goodwill gesture, motivated by imperial guilt, and offset against agreements by major indian companies to invest in the UK. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

An article from the BBC here.

It seems there is ongoing debate in India about whether to accept UK aid, so the decision may be made for us.

They give more to other countries then we give to them, total fucking farce isn't it?, it's all about buying their favour for businesses with tax payer money.

Absolutely Ryoko!

This is obviously a dodgy bribes/Ill scratch your back fund, which is the only possible reason the tories didn't cut it AT ALL in the supposedly most austere budget ever.

I know it paid for the Pope's jolly aroud Britain, I wonder if it pays for the likes of Prince Andrew also. Bloody cheek.

Agree, Ryoko and ChickenLickn.

'This is obviously a dodgy bribes/Ill scratch your back fund, which is the only possible reason the tories didn't cut it AT ALL in the supposedly most austere budget ever.'

It's no surprise that they actually raised the total amount of foreign aid in a time of austerity.

Yes, I often wonder if the sky would actually fall if we said 'Enough'.

I also wonder why on earth Britain, apparently, insists on continuing to try punching above its weight even now in the 21st century? WOULD India stop trading with us if we cut that aid? (Especially bearing in mind so many of the middle men who make that trade possible are British Indians!) I mean, the Norwegians don't seem to suffer as a result of not having to have International Presence on every board, every summit, for instance! The Swiss don't seem to have bombs going off on their buses; the Polish don't seem to be losing soldiers in the Middle East.. so why do we feel the need to stick our heads so high above our tiny parapet? There's no 'special relationship' with the USA to massage any more, after all!

My understanding is that aid will only be given until 2015, has been frozen for that period and will be targeted at the three poorest provinces.

So cross party MPs are certainly aware of their booming economy, increasing tax revenues and emerging social programmes, but have decided that the time to withdraw is not quite now.

They may have a space programme but they also have more poor than sub-Saharan Africa (actually about a third of the world's poor), an average income of £200pa in the three targeted provinces and an insanely high child malnutrition rate.

I realise I am in a minority but I am proud that the UK attempts to show global leadership, and would presume that our £280m allows us to apply pressure in terms of both improving corruption/transparency and in directing more signifanct local resources.

'I also wonder why on earth Britain, apparently, insists on continuing to try punching above its weight'

I think it is about self interest and I am all for it. It is often dressed up as saintly acts, but if you scratch the surface, it is often for self interest and provides benefits for us as a country. So, nothing really wrong with it, except that cuts are made here in order to benefit the country's interests overseas. It's about the balance.

The Tories raised the level of foreign aid. Why? Do you think they are really "bleeding hearts"?

I suppose it depends on what the aid is actually for. If it goes direct to the Indian government then not great. But maybe it goes to specific projects, maybe not so bad.

There still is a lot of poverty in India which its own government seems incapable/unwilling to sort out.

Whilst I don't think it is beyond the bounds of credibility that someone somewhere has decreed that increasing aid payments is morally the right thing to do, I am willing to concede that it is also about being seen to do the right thing.

If it also furthers British interests in certain spheres then that is further justification, although I doubt that our meagre £280m will have much influence in a £1trillion economy.

Aid to India has been frozen AFAIK, suggesting that this is a transitional period to a different sort of relationship.

I don't think it is morally right to ringfence and increase foreign aid while simultaneously cutting aid to our poorest citizens in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. I don't think morals come into it.

Lifting the wool from eyes will probably reveal other motives.

This has now turned up in AIBU too and I wonder what sort of comments it'll get there.

good god.
for a country that is so broke we are
targeting the most vulnerable with the cuts, that is a lot of wasted money

Blimey, I just found this out. Never heard it on TV news porgrammes. It shows that Osborne is listening and does understand people's complaints.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2067619/Osborne-slash-millions-international-aid-budget-criticism-pouring-money-foreign-pockets-lavish.html

We have to buy goodwill nowadays.

Such goodwill may lead to trade contracts such as those recently secured by BAE Systems (£500m) and Rolls Royce (£200m); no doubt several hundred people still have jobs because we are supplying aircraft to India.

What's going on at the Daily Mail? Are their extra high standards slipping?

The article calls him Osborne and underneath the photo it says Osbourne. Which is it?

I set my watch by the Daily Mail. It tells me the truth, but maybe not this time.

Just catching up on my Daily Mail reading on today's online edition and came across this article on precisely this subject

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2068930/How-India-squanders-British-aid--1-4bn-country-space-programme.html