Foreign Affairs committee  They have to be looked at together, I would say.

Foreign Affairs committee  Once again, and I apologize, maybe this is too focused on the actual text. Because of the way the text actually reads, if you broaden the definition of development assistance, what you do is you have a broader range of activities covered by the bill that are then subject to the test in clause 4, which may not be a bad thing.

Foreign Affairs committee  If I might just answer in thirty seconds, I'm not very familiar either with the U.K. act, but my understanding is that it refers specifically to the Secretary of State for International Development spending, which means that other spending, such as contributions to multilateral organizations, once again, I would expect to fall under the portfolio of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs committee  One example would be in clause 5, which starts with “The competent minister”. I think there are one or two instances that refer to “the” competent minister; in other places I think the text uses “a” competent minister.

Foreign Affairs committee  By referring to international organizations, including multilateral organizations, we wish to draw attention to the fact that, though Canada is an active member of these organizations, it is not always able to assert its views and have them accepted by the whole group. Canada is a member of a number of organizations.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to add a few comments on the question you asked about certain activities that should or might be regarded as official development assistance. You also raise the question of whether the act risks having an impact on certain projects meeting the definition given in this development assistance act, but not necessarily meeting the poverty-reduction criteria, which are applied later.