International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
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Other Bills before Parliament

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
1

A
Bill
To
require the Secretary of State to report annually on total expenditure on
international development assistance as a proportion of gross national
income, and in particular on progress towards the target for expenditure on
official development assistance to constitute 0.7 per cent of gross national
income; to require such reports to contain information about expenditure by
country, about the proportion of expenditure in low income countries and
about the effectiveness of expenditure in each country; to make provision
about the transparency of international development assistance; and for
connected purposes.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Annual reports
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Annual reports: general
(1)
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to lay before each House of
Parliament a report in respect of each relevant period (“the annual report”)
which shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
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(2)
the financial value of
(a)
United Kingdom bilateral international development assistance and
that financial value as a proportion of gross national income in
accordance with the provisions of section 3, given to —
(i)
Africa,
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(ii)
Asia,
(iii)
Latin America, and
(iv)
other countries;
(b)
the financial value of United Kingdom multilateral international
development assistance and that financial value as a proportion of
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gross national income in accordance with the provisions of section 3,
given through—

Bill 19 54/1

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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(i)
the European Union,
(ii)
the International Development Association,
(iii)
United Nations agencies, and
(iv)
other bodies;
(c)
progress by the United Kingdom towards Millennium Development
5
Goal 8 and achieving the 0.7 per cent target for expenditure on official
development assistance in accordance with the provisions of sections 4
and 6;
(d)
United Kingdom bilateral and multilateral international development
assistance by country in accordance with the provisions of section 3;
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(e)
United Kingdom bilateral and multilateral international development
assistance for low income countries as a proportion of overall
international development assistance in accordance with the
provisions of section 3; and
(f)
the purpose, monitoring and evaluation of international development
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assistance in accordance with the provisions of section 8.
(3)
An annual report shall, subject to subsection (4), be laid before each House of
Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of the relevant period.
(4)
Nothing in this Act shall be read as preventing the annual report being
combined with any other report which the Secretary of State is required to lay
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before Parliament in consequence of—
(a)
any Act of Parliament,
(b)
any Treasury direction, or
(c)
any established practice.
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Coherence of United Kingdom contribution to poverty reduction and
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sustainable development
(1)
The Secretary of State shall include in the annual report such matters as he
considers appropriate to show to what extent action taken by the Government
of the United Kingdom, across all departments, in relation to one or more
countries outside the United Kingdom, assists in contributing to a reduction in
30
poverty in, or in futhering the sustainable development of, one or more such
countries.
(2)
In this Act, “sustainable development” has the meaning given to it in the
International Development Act 2002 (c. 1).
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International development assistance and gross national income
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(1)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
(a)
the financial value of United Kingdom bilateral international
development assistance during—
(i)
the relevant period, and
(ii)
each of the four calendar years preceding the relevant period;
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(b)
the financial values in paragraph (a) as a percentage of gross national
income;
(c)
the financial value of United Kingdom multilateral international
development assistance during—
(i)
the relevant period, and
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(ii)
each of the four calendar years preceding the relevant period;

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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(d)
the financial values in paragraph (c) as a percentage of gross national
income;
(e)
the financial value of United Kingdom debt relief included in the
calculation of international development assistance; and
(f)
the financial value of cancelled export credits included in any
5
calculation of United Kingdom debt relief.
(2)
The annual report shall also include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
(a)
the financial value of United Kingdom bilateral international
development assistance in the relevant period provided to each
country in receipt of such assistance,
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(b)
the financial value of United Kingdom multilateral international
development assistance provided to each country in respect of such
assistance,
(c)
the financial value specified in paragraph (a) as a proportion of total
United Kingdom bilateral international development assistance,
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(d)
the financial value of official development assistance in the relevant
period provided to each country in respect of such assistance, and
(e)
the financial value specified in paragraph (d) as a proportion of total
United Kingdom official development assistance.
(3)
The annual report shall also include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
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(a)
the proportion of the financial value of United Kingdom bilateral
international development assistance provided to low income
countries during—
(i)
the relevant period, and
(ii)
each of the four calendar years preceding the relevant period;
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(b)
the proportion of the financial value of United Kingdom multilateral
international development assistance provided to low income
countries during—
(i)
the relevant period, and
(ii)
each of the four calendar years preceding the relevant period;
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(c)
the amount specified in subsection (3)(a)(i) as a percentage of the
amount specified in subsection (1)(a)(i); and
(d)
each of the amounts specified in subsection (3)(a)(ii) as a percentage of
the amounts specificed in subsection (1)(a)(ii) in respect of the
equivalent calendar year.
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(4)
The annual report may include the Secretary of State’s revised assessment of
information provided for the relevant period for a previous annual report in
accordance with any of the subsections of this section.
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Millennium Development Goal 8
(1)
The annual report shall provide such information as is available to the
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Secretary of State to enable an assessment to be made of the United Kingdom’s
contribution to the fulfilment of Millennium Development Goal 8, including:
(a)
progress towards an open trading and financial system that is rule
based and non-discriminatory,
(b)
steps to enhance debt relief and cancellation of official debt of low
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income countries, and
(c)
measures to increase the focus on the issues specified in section 7(2).

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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(2)
The annual report may include the Secretary of State’s revised assessment of
information provided for the relevant period for a previous annual report in
accordance with subsection (1).
(3)
The annual report must include the Secretary of State’s assessment of the
proportion of United Kingdom bilateral official development assistance during
5
the relevant period that—
(a)
has been provided for social services, including health, education,
nutrition, sanitation and water,
(b)
is untied,
(c)
has been provided for the protection of the environment, and
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(d)
has been provided for the transport sector in small island and land-
locked developing countries.
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Multilateral development assistance and Millennium Development Goals 1
to 7
(1)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of the
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United Kingdom’s contribution both financially and in other ways to
multilateral international development assistance, given through—
(a)
the European Union,
(b)
the International Development Association,
(c)
United Nations agencies, and
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(d)
other bodies.
(2)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of the
proportion of multilateral international development assistance to which the
United Kingdom contributes that is untied.
(3)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of progress
25
made, as a result of multilateral international development assistance, towards
achieving Millennium Development Goals 1 to 7.
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Progress towards net expenditure target
(1)
The purpose of this section is to secure parliamentary and public
accountability for progress towards the target for expenditure on official
30
development assistance to constitute 0.7 per cent of gross national income and
subsequent compliance with that target.
(2)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
(a)
the total financial value of United Kingdom net official development
assistance during—
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(i)
the relevant period, and
(ii)
each of the four calendar years preceding the relevant period;
(b)
the amount specified in paragraph (a)(i) as a percentage of gross
national income;
(c)
each of the amounts specified in paragraph (a)(ii) as a percentage of
40
gross national income in respect of the equivalent calendar year; and
(d)
the year in which the Secretary of State expects that the target for
expenditure on official development assistance to constitute 0.7 per
cent of gross national income will be met.

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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(3)
The annual report may include the Secretary of State’s revised assessment of
information provided for the relevant period for a previous annual report in
accordance with subsection (2) of this section.
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Assessment of the effectiveness of United Kingdom development assistance
(1)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of—
5
(a)
the effectiveness of United Kingdom bilateral international
development assistance in the ten countries receiving the most such
assistance,
(b)
the effectiveness of United Kingdom official development assistance in
the ten countries receiving the most such assistance, and
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(c)
the effectiveness of United Kingdom bilateral programmes in reducing
poverty, and which programmes are most effective.
(2)
In assessing the effectiveness of assistance for the purposes of subsection (1),
the Secretary of State shall, in particular, have regard to the effects of the
assistance in the country concerned in—
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(a)
tackling HIV/AIDS,
(b)
reducing child mortality,
(c)
promoting good governance and respect for human rights,
(d)
furthering sustainable development, including the protection of the
environment,
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(e)
expanding trading opportunities for low income groups, and
(f)
assisting the progress of the country concerned towards the country’s
own development goals.
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Transparency
(1)
The annual report shall include the Secretary of State’s assessment of the
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United Kingdom contribution to promoting the transparency with which
assistance is provided and subsequently used.
(2)
The Secretary of State’s assessment of transparency shall take account of
whether it is possible to:
(a)
achieve the following objectives:
30
(i)
specify the planned levels of assistance to be provided in that
country for the current year and at least three future years,
(ii)
specify the development objectives in that country that
expenditure is expected to achieve,
(iii)
make provision for the independent monitoring and evaluation
35
of the effectiveness of policy and expenditure in achieving its
stated objectives; and
(b)
secure and publish an agreement with recipient countries which will
contribute towards the achievement of the objectives listed in
paragraph (a).
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9
Definition of key terms
(1)
In this Act, subject to subsection (2), “the relevant period”, in relation to an
annual report, means the calendar year prior to that in which the annual report
is laid before each House of Parliament.

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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(2)
The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe a revised definition of “the
relevant period”.
(3)
Within three months of the coming into force of this section, the Secretary of
State shall make regulations prescribing definitions of the following terms for
the purposes of this Act—
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(a)
social services,
(b)
gross national income,
(c)
low income countries,
(d)
low income groups,
(e)
net official development assistance,
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(f)
official development assistance,
(g)
small island developing countries,
(h)
untied.
(4)
Regulations made under subsection (3) shall be subject to annulment in
pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
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(5)
Where the Secretary of State is satisfied that there has been an objective change
in circumstances requiring a modification of the definition of a term set out in
paragraphs (a) to (h) of subsection (3) he may by further regulations prescribe
a new definition.
(6)
No regulations may be made under subsection (2) or (5) unless a draft of the
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regulations has been—
(a)
laid before Parliament, and
(b)
approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
Miscellaneous and final provisions
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Orders and regulations
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(1)
The powers conferred by this Act on the Secretary of State to make an order or
regulations shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.
(2)
Every power conferred by this Act on the Secretary of State to make an order
or regulations includes power—
(a)
to make different provision for different cases (including different
30
provision in respect of different areas);
(b)
to make provision subject to such exemptions and exceptions as the
Secretary of State thinks fit; and
(c)
to make such incidental, supplemental, consequential and transitional
provision as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
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Interpretation
In this Act—
“annual report” has the meaning given by section 1;
“gross national income” has the prescribed meaning;
“international development assistance” means assistance provided by the
40
Secretary of State in the exercise of his powers under sections 1 to 3 of
the International Development Act 2002 (c. 1) (provision of assistance);
“low income countries” has the prescribed meaning;

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
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“low income groups” has the prescribed meaning;
“Millennium Development Goal” means a goal relating to a global
partnership for development agreed at the United Nations Millennium
Summit in September 2000;
“net official development assistance” has the prescribed meaning;
5
“official development assistance” has the prescribed meaning;
“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of
State in the exercise of powers under section 9;
“public authority” has the same meaning as in section 6 of the Human
Rights Act 1998 (c. 42);
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“the relevant period” has—
(a)
the meaning given by section 9(1), or
(b)
the prescribed meaning;
“small island developing countries” has the prescribed meaning;
“social services” has the prescribed meaning;
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“sustainable development” shall be construed in accordance with the
provisions of section 1 of the International Development Act 2002 (c. 1);
“untied” has the prescribed meaning.
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Expenses
There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—
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(a)
any expenditure incurred by Secretary of State in consequence of this Act, and
(b)
any increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable out of money so
provided under any other Act.
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Short title and commencement
(1)
This Act may be cited as the International Development (Reporting and
25
Transparency) Act 2005.
(2)
Sections 1 to 9 shall come into force at the end of a period of three months
beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.