UK spends £60m of foreign aid cash on providing faster internet for people overseas

BRITAIN is spending £60million of foreign aid cash on faster internet for people overseas.

Despite families here struggling to connect, the scheme will bring more “affordable” digital access to countries such as Brazil.

The scheme is also being spearheaded by the Department for Culture to help ‘thriving digital ecosystems’

The cash will be used over four years for “excluded and underserved” communities across three continents.

The Digital Access Programme has so far laid out £3.1million since it started in July last year.

But £59.7million has been put aside to be spent by March 2023.

Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “Most people would expect international aid to be spent on feeding and educating impoverished people in countries — not internet connections.”

The scheme is also being spearheaded by the Department for Culture to help “thriving digital ecosystems”.

At the same time, 610,000 premises in the UK cannot get access to fixed-line broadband.

Philip Hollobone said ‘Most people would expect international aid to be spent on feeding and educating impoverished people in countries’

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has denied Britain’s overseas development budget will be cut

A Government spokesperson insisted almost £2billion has been spent here connecting at least 96 per cent of the country to superfast broadband.

They added that foreign aid cash helps “half a billion of the world’s poor to learn, get jobs and create businesses”.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has denied our overseas development budget will be cut.

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