Why are we paying india money?

[R1Geezer]

They have their own space program, more Billionaires than anyone, they even have their own aid program, so F.F.S can someone tell me why we are giving aid to india when clearly they don't need it? Is there any truth in the old statement that aid is taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving to to rich people in poor countries

[Hopkirk]

Apparently we are only just stopping giving aid to Russia!

Are we the mugs of the world?

I too have seen the poverty in India first hand, but still don't agree that we should be sending them aid, when they spend money on nuclear arms and a space program.

[ummmm]

Do we give aid to countries like Thailand? They also have desperate poverty...

Isn't it something to do with trade deals?

[scotman]

The Indian government is not spectacularly bad at distribution, it distributes as it chooses.

[ELVIS68]

Heard someone on a phone-in on talksport last week saying we are paying China either £38m or £38b a year in aid, even if it is £38m it`s too much

[Hopkirk]

There is plenty of money in India - they have bought Jaguar/Land Rover, Corus (ex British Steel), and a premiership football club.

[237SJ]

I agree with birdie. There are a lot of rich people in India. There are a lot of desperately poor people in India as anyone who has been there will testify. Just because India has nuclear capability or own car manufacturing companies that doesn`t make them a rich country as far as the people are concerned. Ummm - there is no comparison between poverty in Thailand and India. One day India will be a well-off country but that day is many, many decades away.

[237SJ]

birdie - doesn`t the risk of harm to the UK eminate from Pakistan, not India?

[237SJ]

*emanate*

[237SJ]

birdy - with respect I don`t think your protection racket idea holds much sway.

[tamborine]

UK: Hi India, we've put up the price of petrol & VAT and the oiks are filling our coffers. Can you hide our surplus cash ?

India: Certainly PM, for errrrr 50% interest.

UK: Done, we'll call it an 'aid donation'. :>)

[TonyV]

It's called Aid, but comes from The Department For International Development. Read into that what you want, but I think its more of a "bung", providing the country involved spends more with UK companies. To late and to tired to express my thoughts any further

[LazyGun]

I agree with the basic sentiment - that it is ludicrous that we are providing millions, if not billions, to countries such as India and Pakistan - both countries that choose to spend a great deal of their own GDP on Defence, Space Programmes and other high maintenance, high profile schemes designed more to enhance the pride of the leaders of the countries involved.

When we talk about Aid money, it should be sent to people who are genuinely in need, countries that genuinely need help.

Thing is, our Aid budget is linked very closely with the political and commercial aims of the UK, as Tony has alluded to. I was listening to a radio interview with an ex- senior civil servant who had worked for many years within the Overseas Development / Aid department. He was suggesting that we only committed funds to programmes that would benefit the UK commercial interests and gave as an example a hospital building programme within India - conditional upon acceptance of the money was that India would buy exclusively from British suppliers when constructing and furnishing the hospitals, and that for every billion we spent in such Aid programmes, the UK got 2 billion back. Not sure if that is right or not, but I can only imagine that the UK is expecting some political or commercial benefit from providing the money.......

[VHG]

I am sure that when we give aid we make sure we get "something" in return.

That "something" might be trade deals, or it might be "spying" information, or it might be that we can use their ports or airfields for our military use, or just "political friendship".

I am siure there is a lot of politics behind all this.

Lets face it, if we (the West) did not give money to Pakistan then Russia or China might (the East), and then Pakistan is more likely to do deals with them rather than us.

I am sure this is a very complex situation and one where lots of behind closed doors discussion takes place.