Today’s Daily Mail reports the UK is one of seven nations to hit the target of spending 0.7% of national income on international development.
Its story is based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The UK is proud to reach the 0.7% commitment - which is saving lives and making Britain safer every day.
Although the Daily Mail wrote that we did not provide a comment for the article, they have since admitted that they did not approach us for a response.
If they had approached us for a comment we would have said: “Our aid commitment - which is enshrined in law - increases Britain’s global influence and allows us to shape the world around us which is firmly in the UK’s national interest.
“Investing less than one percent of our national income in aid is creating a safer, healthier and more prosperous world.
“We are driving value for money in aid to ensure it is spent well as well as saving lives: immunising 80 children a minute against polio, getting food to people fleeing violence in Burma, taking on the scourge of modern slavery and giving Syrian children the chance to go to school and learn.”
The Sun’s defence editor David Willetts brought up the story on today’s Sky News’s paper review, saying he was a “fan” of UK aid.
He added: “It’s good to be generous if you’re a wealthy nation”.
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