HC Deb 07 July 1992 vol 211 c164W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that any future structural adjustments agreed with third world Governments should take fully into account the effect of the changes experienced by vulnerable groups in debtor countries.

Mr. Nelson

[holding answer 6 July 1992] : The Government have made clear-most recently in my right hon. Friend's statement to the development committee at the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World bank-the priority they attach to Governments and the international financial institutions taking full account of their responsibility to devise and implement effective strategies for the reduction of poverty when designing adjustment programmes. It is the policy of the IMF and the World bank to pay full regard to the impact of adjustment programmes on the poor.