§ 39. Mr. Phillip Oppenheimasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made any assessment of the cost to the United Kingdom of writing off the debts of the world's poorest countries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartAlthough our policy of commuting aid loans to grants to the poorest countries has benefited 21 countries at a cost of £987 million, we have made no assessment of the cost to the United Kingdom of writing off all the debts of such countries.