International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill

My hon. Friend is right. That point is made in one of the amendments tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope), and I shall say more about it later. It seems to me that the main purpose of allowing the Secretary of State to include the annual report with other reports is to save printing costs and to save time for those who prepare the reports and those who examine what has been produced. Surely the money that would be saved is a fraction of the amount that is spent on aid for developing countries. Given that so much taxpayers’ money is rightly being spent on aid, it is far more important for the report to stand on its own so that we can see exactly how that money is being spent than for relatively small amounts to be saved on stationery and printing for the convenience of Departments. I hope very much that my hon. Friend’s amendment is accepted. I listened carefully to my hon. Friend’s skilful explanation of amendments Nos. 4 and 5. There was a great deal in what he said, but on reflection I feel that those amendments may not be the strongest that have been tabled. Although I understand my hon. Friend’s reasons for wishing to replace ““must”” with"““shall so far as reasonably practicable””," it may cause more problems than it solves by allowing the Secretary of State to avoid publishing some information that we would like to see. With respect, I hope that my hon. Friend decides not to press his amendments. In fact, they were probably intended to be probing amendments. Amendment No. 8 is particularly important. It would insert the words"““European Community aid to which the UK contributes, and…other multilateral aid to which the UK contributes””." My right hon. Friend the Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) referred to that earlier. It is an essential part of what should be in the Bill, because it concerns taxpayers’ money. It should be relatively immaterial whether that money is given directly or indirectly, or through one body or another. What is important is that the public can see how wisely it is being spent, in whatever guise it is spent.