HC Deb 01 February 1995 vol 253 c705W
Mr. Denham

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to argue in the forthcoming IDA replenishment negotiations, that the bulk of IDA funds should be allocated to social sectors and direct poverty reduction programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry

In the report on the 10th replenishment of IDA, donors underlined the central importance of poverty reduction in IDA's policy dialogue with borrowers, and stated that they expected the share of social sector and poverty-targeted interventions to increase steadily where justified by the country assistance strategy. In IDA-11, we will press IDA to intensify its efforts in this area.

Mr. Denham

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for(a) the size of the 11th IDA replenishment and (b) the allocation of IDA-11 among the various objectives towards which it is directed.

Mr. Baldry

We shall be working for a substantial replenishment of the International Development Association, while taking account of the constraints on available aid programme resources. We do not expect any major shift in IDA's priority objectives of poverty reduction, sound economic management and environmentally sustainable development.

Mr. Denham

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy(a) to support the United States Government's position on mandatory social safety net programmes and public consultation campaigns for all structural adjustment loans and (b) to press for their implementation, at the Paris meeting of International Development Association delegates in February.

Mr. Baldry

If the United States tables proposals during the IDA-11 negotiations, we and other donors will give them careful consideration.