Development secretary says UK contribution to Global Fund depends on fund making progress on its reforms

International development secretary Andrew Mitchell has given strong backing to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria but stopped short of announcing an immediate boost in financial aid.

Mitchell was giving evidence to MPs on the international development select committee, which was holding a special one off evidence session to investigate the cancellation of the Global Fund’s latest funding round in November after a shortfall in donations.

Mitchell began his evidence by saying that the UK would make a “significant uplift for 2013-14 at the turn of the year.” After questioning by MPs, however, he said that he might make his announcement earlier than that, possibly at the next G20 meeting in Mexico in June. Since 2001 …