Post by Focus on Feb 21, 2013 7:57:08 GMT
DAVID Cameron wants to redirect hundreds of millions of pounds of overseas aid towards bolstering Britain’s Armed Forces in trouble spots around the world, it emerged last night.
Prime Minister David Cameron is shown around the Golden Temple at Amritsar in Punjab, India
The Prime Minister is keen for more cash from the Government’s £11billion annual aid spending to be switched to conflict-troubled countries such as Afghanistan and Mali rather than lavished on fast-growing nations.
Mr Cameron revealed his thinking as he prepared to fly home after his three-day trade mission to India.
His decision is understood to result in part from an acknowledgement that taxpayers are increasingly frustrated with rises in aid spending while other departments face cuts.
But any move is likely to anger defence chiefs, who suspect ministers are trying to paper over cracks in the Armed Forces budgets. It could lead to a smaller cash allocation for defence in the next Government spending review, due later this year.
The PM has told International Development Secretary Justine Greening he is “open to ideas” about spending more aid cash on peace keeping and conflict prevention.
Prime Minister David Cameron flips chapatis in India
Mr Cameron said: “I think we do need to demonstrate that the Department for International Development budget is used wisely.
“One of the things Justine Greening is rightly keen on is to make sure we should be thinking clearly about the states that are riven by conflict.”
Under current rules, the overseas development aid budget cannot be spent on armaments. But the money can be used on security, peacekeeping and demobilisation.
The shake-up could mean more aid cash going towards logistics
, transport, rations and other supplies to troops deployed to conflict zones.
The Daily Express has led criticism of the Coalition for raising aid spending to meet international targets.
Mr Cameron has pledged to increase the annual aid budget from £11billion a year to £14billion by 2015.
India was rebuffed yesterday when a request was made for the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The gem stone, the largest cut diamond in the world, was presented to Queen Victoria and later added to the Queen Mother’s coronation crown. Yesterday, however, Mr Cameron insisted the diamond should remain in Britain ...
Ffs what makes Cameron think he has the right to keep giving away millions of pounds of British money to other countries?? ( of which most are better off than us to start with ) ... Doesn't he think that the British people have suffered enough from this so called 'foreign aid'?? ... what misery can the British people expect to pay for this and how much more can the British people take??? - Fx 
