Skip to main content

British Aid

Volume 458: debated on Wednesday 28 March 2007

7. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the relative effectiveness of British aid provided through the independent sector, through the EU and bilaterally. (130166)

Our assessment is that, to maximise the benefits to poor people, it makes sense to give our aid in different ways, depending on the circumstances.

DFID's bi-lateral aid, given directly to governments or through NGOs and the UN, helps provide essential services. We also support NGOs to help citizens hold their governments to account.

Aid given through the European Commission and the World Bank enables us to reach a larger number of countries and people.