Conservative Policy Forum ( CPF ) usually meets each month at the Salisbury Club in Reading and offers members the opportunity to discuss areas of local and national policy. A summary of our responses to the questions are sent back to CCHQ and the feedback of members from all round the country is collated and presented to Ministers.
Questions for discussion
1. What should be the purpose of international aid?
2. What would you like to see included in the next international strategy for development?
3. To what kinds of countries should we give international aid? What types of country should definitely not receive aid?
4. Should our aid be conditional? For example, should we deny aid to countries with poor human rights records, including persecution of homosexuality?
5. Should less funding be channelled through multilateral agencies and more be delivered bilaterally, including through the intermediary of NGOs?
6. Should more be done to tell the public how their money is spent? Would this make the public more willing to support the aid programme?
7. How should we balance moves towards greater trade liberalisation with considerations such as protecting British farmers? Is it hypocritical to promote the economic development of poor countries while at the same time as restricting access to Western markets?
8. Should the international offices of state work together more closely? Would this create a more strategic approach to our foreign affairs, or muddy the aims of each organisation?
9. Should our spending on development aid be decided as a proportion of GNI or in some other way?