UK-based relief agency Tearfund applauded British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's speech on Tuesday and his decision to make law the government's current commitment of spending 0.7% of its GDP on aid.

"This is the right decision," said Laura Webster, Head of Policy for Tearfund. "With so many priorities competing for government spending and fuelling political scrutiny over the next nine months, it is important that development aid is secured in this way."

"In the poorest countries where Tearfund is working lives will depend on it," she continue. "We hope that the Government is able to push this through Parliament before next year's General Election."

"If there is one thing the recession is showing us, it's that the poorest people in the world are always hit the hardest."

The UK's commitment to aid is scheduled to become legally binding by 2013.