§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes of institutional reform she has proposed for the African Development Bank. [39965]
§ Mr. FoulkesThe British Government fully support the major restructuring and institutional reform programme initiated by the President of the African Development Bank and approved by the Board of Directors in 1995. Under this programme, improvements have been made in the areas of organisational structure, the quality of Bank operations, human resource management policies and financial management. In recognition of progress in these areas, shareholders of the Bank are now close to completing negotiations on a capital increase, which will strengthen the financial ratios of the Bank and increase the influence of non-regional members such as the United Kingdom.