UK looks to wind down aid to India by 2015

[Jade]

UK looks to wind down aid to India - FT.com

Justine Greening will this week outline plans to phase out Britain’s controversial aid payments to India, which are likely to come to an end after 2015.
On a visit to Delhi, the international development secretary will tell Indian ministers that the UK intends to wind down aid to the country and work on fostering trade links instead.
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According to reports in two British newspapers, Ms Greening will announce she intends to cut the current £280m-a-year programme in half.

Government advisers would not comment on the reports, but Ms Greening told the Conservative party conference earlier this year: “We should recognise that as countries get richer, we need to be responsible about how we transition in our relationship with them from aid to trade.
“Those are the discussions that I am having with the Indian government at the moment.”

The UK’s aid programme has angered many Tory MPs, who say Britain should not be giving development grants to a country with its own space programme. They were particularly vexed by the decision by the Indian government to buy a new fleet of French Rafale jets, instead of the Typhoons made in part by Britain. They said the decision showed Britain’s aid budget was not winning the kind of influence and trade links they hoped for.

 

[Pak1Samurai]

I did not know that uk gave aid to the india

 

[IndoUS]

I did not know that uk gave aid to the india

Its to the NGO, the organizations get the money and not the government.

 

[INDIC]

I did not know that uk gave aid to the india

Its for NGO, even our government say we don't need it, British still insist to take aid.

 

[Tshering22]

Its for NGO, even our government say we don't need it, British still insist to take aid.

And it is used to forward foreign interests and meddling in Indian affairs.

Oh man I thought after MRCA they will immediately forfeit that money.

Now we have to listen to them whining about it till 2015.

Right now UK is not in a good position and it is best if Cameron government puts that money in local businesses and devises strategies to reduce costs and therefore bring businesses back to UK rather than them being outsourced to Asian countries.