Why doesn’t the Act define key terms like “poverty”, “welfare” and “sustainable development”?
• While these terms are generally understood, it is impossible to construct definitions that cover all their aspects. Incomplete definitions would have the unintended effect of limiting the activities the Secretary of State could support. • The Act refers to sustainable development as “including development that is in the opinion of the Secretary of State, prudent having regard to the likelihood of its generating lasting benefits for the population of the country or countries in relation to which it is provided.” This is not a definition as such, but has been included to ensure that a Secretary of State is not bound by definitions that are either too environmental or too economic.
