To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British aid was spent in the least developed countries in 1990, 1991 and 1992; how much this was as a proportion of gross national product; and by how much British official development assistance to the least-developed countries will have needed to increase in cash terms in those years in order to meet the level recommended by the "United Nations Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries" in 1990.

The information for 1990 and 1991 is as follows. Figures for 1992 are not yet available.

	1990	1991
Official development assistance (ODA) to the least developed countries (£ million)	462	545
As a proportion of United Kingdom gross national product (per cent.)	0·09	0·10
Increase in cash terms needed to meet United Nations target for aid to the least developed (0·15 per cent.). Figures rounded to nearest £10 million (£ million)	360	310

The Overseas Development Assistance/gross national product ratios are shown to the nearest two decimal points, as published by the OECD development assistance committee. The cash increases required to meet the 0·15 per cent. target are calculated on a more detailed basis.