Aid again

Alex Singleton, on the Telegraph Three Line Whip yesterday, in a few words virtually demolishes the government white paper on international development, as being cliches and self-congratulations.

He criticises much of what passes for aid by quoting from Dr. Marian Tupy, an African Aid expert.

Between 1975 and 2005 Africa received $24.60 per person per year in aid. China received only $1.50 and India $2.11. The developed world has concentrated on Africa in some measure.

Over the same period India grew by 3.5% a year, and China by 7.9%, while Africa shrank by 0.16% per year, - it is becoming poorer, despite the vast sums pumped in in aid.

There may be problems in Africa associated with tribal boundaries which do not correspond with boundaries designed by the long gone colonial powers. Most of us would suspect that Africa has too many corrupt leaders, who have salted away aid, misdirected it or spent it on vainglorious projects.

Whatever the reason, if aid has made any contribution at all, in alleviating disasters for instance, it has many no contribution to development.

Earlier this week I mentioned the recent Conservative thinking - vouchers, that is bottom up development, rather than the wasteful top-down aid.