§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much debt was owed to her Department by each individual debtor country at 31 December 1998. [82006]
§ Mr. FoulkesThe debts outstanding to the Department for International Development as of 31 December 1998 are as follows:
£000 Country Principal Interest Total Antigua and Barbuda 1,687 — 1,687 Belize 11,928 — 11,928 Brazil 1,692 382 2,074 Cameroon 67 — 67 Cayman Islands 188 — 188 Colombia 170 — 170 Costa Rica 766 93 859 Cyprus 131 — 131 Ecuador 7,783 3,935 11,718 India 5,806 — 5,806 Jamaica 29,133 10,576 39,709 Liberia 77 1 78 Malaysia 2,903 282 3,185 Nigeria 4,907 24 4,931 Paraguary 1,874 — 1,874 Phillipines 2,702 145 2,847 Seychelles 7,886 824 8,710 St. Kitts 2,303 — 2,303 St. Vincent 3,421 — 3,421 Swaziland 1,538 — 1,538 Turkey 24,016 4,771 28,787 Zimbabwe 11,334 557 11,891 Total 122,312 21,590 143,902 Our Department has cancelled the debts of over 30 countries, worth over £1.2 billion since 1978. In September 1997, we launched the Commonwealth Debt Initiative, announcing that we were willing to cancel the remaining aid debt due to the UK from lower income Commonwealth countries to those countries which are committed to the International Development Goals and are following sound economic policies which benefit the poor, and which promote responsive and accountable government, encourage transparency and bear down on corruption.