Govt defends India aid cut
The Government has defended its decision to cut British aid to India, saying it will mean a "maturing" of the relationship between the two countries.
The UK's £280m annual development payment to India is to be cut as the Justine Greening reshapes the aid budget.
"There are a number of aid programmes in place," a Number 10 spokesman said. "Those programmes already underway will be completed in 2015. No new British financial aid programmes to India will be made, with immediate effect. You will see a maturing of our relationship and development systems to India."
On BBC News this afternoon, Ms Greening spoke to defend the cut, which aid charities have criticised.
"What we’ve got is a very measured transition towards a development relationship that really is much more focused on technical assistance, much more focused on trade and growing the Indian economy and I think that's absolutely the right direction to move," she said.