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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/185m-aid-cash-spent-on-pope-visit.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="MPs want to know why 1.85 million pounds of foreign aid funding was spent on the Pope's recent visit to the UK" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/min-185m-aid-cash-spent-on-pope-visit.jpg" alt="MPs want to know why 1.85 million pounds of foreign aid funding was spent on the Pope's recent visit to the UK"/></a></p>
<p>MPs have demanded to know why £1.85 million of foreign aid funding was spent on the Pope&#8217;s recent visit to the UK.</p>
<p>An influential Commons committee called on ministers to explain how diverting development cash to subsidise the trip met global aid rules.</p>
<p>The &#8220;somewhat surprising&#8221; transfer to the Foreign Office (FCO) was queried following a detailed investigation of the annual accounts of the Department for International Development.</p>
<p>Initial figures published in November put the cost to Whitehall departments of the four-day state visit in November at £10 million.</p>
<p>Malcolm Bruce, who chairs the international development select committee, said voters would struggle to understand why DfID money was involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many people will be as surprised as we were to discover that UK aid money was used to fund the Pope&#8217;s visit last year,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Ministers need to explain exactly what this was spent on and how it tallies with our commitments on overseas aid.&#8221;</p>
<p>The committee also warned that the higher priority being given in aid spending to war zones and other fragile states would make it harder to be sure taxpayers&#8217; cash was being well spent.</p>
<p>A spokesman for the Department for International Development said: &#8220;DFID was one of a number of Government departments part-funding the Pope&#8217;s visit to the UK.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our contribution recognised the Catholic Church&#8217;s role as a major provider of health and education services in developing countries.</p>
<p>&#8220;This money does not constitute official development assistance and is therefore additional to the coalition Government&#8217;s historic commitment to meet the 0.7% UN aid target from 2013.&#8221;</p>
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