It was approaching 0.5 per cent. Of course, the figure to which the Under-Secretary refers was not an average, but spending approached, if not matched, that level in 1979. I wanted to point out that the Conservative party is not completely neglectful of the needs of overseas development, and that we contributed to those needs an average of 0.33 per cent. The worrying figure, which is not a tease, is the fall in private flows. I think that we will have to examine how we can improve that figure.
Private flows form a major part of British assistance to developing countries, and always have done.
That is a serious problem for us all. If we have the ambition to improve that figure, we must take measures to encourage private flows. After all, private investment is designated by the White Paper as the engine of development. The departmental report also contains private investment measures that will have to be considered. Bribery and corruption are another major problem.