The UK’s international aid programme has been “brought crashing down by an act of simple, crass vandalism”, according to the former chairman of the international development committee.
Lord Bruce of Bennachie described how the UK’s “world-beating aid and development programme” has been curtailed by cuts to the aid budget and the merger of the Department for International Development and the Foreign Office.
He said the use of the foreign aid budget for “uncontrolled spending” on refugee resettlement schemes has further diverted funds away from life-saving and life-changing programmes abroad which not only help the beneficiaries but contribute to the UK’s soft power.
The Liberal Democrat peer said: “I am shocked and appalled how this reputation and capacity, built up by successive governments of all parties, has been brought crashing down by an act of simple, crass vandalism.
Sudden cuts on this scale have real and devastating consequences for ordinary people living on the brink— Lord Bruce
“This meant and means people who might have lived have died, those who were lifted out of poverty have fallen back, others who had the prospect of improved lives saw their hopes dashed away.
“Sudden cuts on this scale have real and devastating consequences for ordinary people living on the brink.”
Lord Bruce is, however, hopeful for the future after the aid budget was increased from 0.5% to 0.55% and Andrew Mitchell appointed as an international development minister.
Mr Mitchell previously served as the secretary of state of international development and was described by Lord Bruce as a “dynamic and reforming minister” who brings “radical reforms”.
He added: “We have been through, in my view, a shameful trashing of a world class achievement of this country.
“That has to end. We have a team in place now who has knowledge and understanding and some credibility and I urge the Government to pass on to them that we expect that reputation to be rebuilt, starting now.”
And the really sad thing is that even though antiretroviral drugs lead to a normal, a useful, a full life after treatment, we are not using the full potential of those drugs— Lord Bruce
Tory peer Lord Fowler, who was health secretary from 1981 to 1987 during the height of the Aids crisis and is now the UNAIDS ambassador, urged the Government to refocus its emphasis on beating the disease.
He said tackling Aids has been a “casualty” of the UK’s failure to meet global health challenges.
He said: “There’s an important difference in the position today and the position that there was, for example, in the 1980s.
“In the 1980s, we had no medicines and no way of combating HIV. It was, in effect, a death sentence.
“We obviously used advertising and every other means to warn people. Only yesterday, a man came up to me in this house and thanked me on behalf of a whole range of other people for that advertising, which he said had saved his life. And I think it probably did save many, many lives, but nothing like the lives that can be saved by antiretroviral drugs.
“And the really sad thing is that even though antiretroviral drugs lead to a normal, a useful, a full life after treatment, we are not using the full potential of those drugs.
“That’s the real tragedy of the situation.
“It’s so different to where we were before. Then we didn’t have the means. Now we have the means. And what do we do? We don’t use the means.”
He added, however, it is “very good” to see Mr Mitchell back in Government working on international development.
