Isle of Man 'behind' in overseas aid contributions

The Isle of Man is still "significantly behind" in terms of international aid contributions, according to the chairman of the overseas aid committee.

MHK Phil Gawne said, in terms of relative giving, the Isle of Man lags behind most European countries.

Since April 2011 the island has contributed more than £3m to countries including East Africa, Kenya and Nepal.

However, Mr Gawne added that the Isle of Man's figures were also less than Jersey and Guernsey.

In a question at the House of Keys on 1 November, Mr Gawne commented: "It is worth noting that the Isle of Man Government is still significantly behind most European countries in terms of the amount of aid it gives as a percentage of Gross National Product (GNP)."

Overseas Aid is given to projects which aim to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, specifically in countries classed as 'Low' or 'Medium' on the United Nations Human Development Index.