TNAG-0618-FCO40-766-Aid-framework-from-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 36

心身

I

PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE UK AID STRATEGY

1

The UK aid strategy remains as described in the White Paper More Help

for the Poorest' published in October 1975, which outlined the

government's intention to increase the emphasis in the aid programme

on the poorest people in the poorest countries. This has meant a

concentration on rural development, but we are studying ways of

helping the urban poor too.

2. Although the White Paper contains the first public expression of

the new aid strategy, UK aid policy was by the time it was published

already moving in the direction of more aid for the poorest. We have

always accepted that a major shift in emphasis in the aid programme

would take time to show substantial results but the latest statistics

on aid to the rural poor are quite encouraging. Table I below

demonstrates a shift in the disbursement of resources towards the rural poor between 1974 and 1975. We expect the figures for 1976 to show further moves in the same direction.

Table I

Proportion of bilateral project aid disbursements

benefiting the rural poor:

1974

1975

%

%

Wholly benefiting the

rural poor

20.6

24.4

Partly benefiting the

rural poor

29.6.

35.6

50.2.

60.0

3. Table 2 below demonstrates that the proportion of aid commitments on projects wholly benefiting the rural poor increased in 1975, but that commitments partly benefiting them fell.

Table 2

Proportion of bilateral project aid commitments

benefiting the rural poor:

1974

1975

%

%

Wholly benefiting the

rural poor

28.1

36.7

Partly benefiting the

rural poor

37.1

24.9**

65.2

61.2

/If