Short may get £1 bn budget increase for international aid

Clare Short, UK international development secretary could be in line for a budget increase of up to £1 bn a year in the UK government's comprehensive spending review in July 2000. On 17.5.00 Ms Short condemned the European Union as 'the worst agency in the world' for providing emergency and development aid to needy countries. Her comments follow a speech by Chris Patten, the European external affairs commissioner, calling for 'radical changes' in the way EU aid is administered and suggesting the programme may have to be scaled down to make it more effective.