World Bank (Hansard, 11 December 1992)

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual United Kingdom contribution to the World bank.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
The United Kingdom's contribution to the World Bank Group in 1990–91 was £159 million and in 1991–92 £228 million.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current position on the 10th replenishment of the World bank's International Development Association.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Negotiations on the size of the tenth replenishment of the International Development Association are continuing. The next meeting is on 14–15 December.
810W

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the Wappenhans report on the success rate of World Bank projects.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
We have welcomed bank management's initial positive response, and its intention to propose further changes to the bank's policies and practices to improve effectiveness.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what voting share the United Kingdom has on the World bank.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
The United Kingdom's voting share at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is 5.35 per cent.; and at the International Development Association 5.39 per cent.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy guidance is given to the British executive director of the World bank.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Our executive director to the International Monetary Fund and the World bank is provided with policy guidance as appropriate.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make available access to information about World bank affairs along the lines of that given in the United States under the Pelosi amendment.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
At present the World bank circulates monthly an operational summary containing information about all projects which it is considering for possible financing, and a summary of environmental assessments. As I told the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 8 December, this is available in the House of Commons Library. It also publishes all financial decisions made by the board and a wide range of technical and policy papers. An assessment of any significant environmental impact is made available to non-governmental organisations in the borrowing country well in advance of consideration of the project in the board. We have supported a proposal to make the assessments more widely available.