§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's plans to link debt relief with poverty elimination programmes. [83297]
§ Clare ShortWe are working to influence the World Bank and the IMF during the comprehensive review of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative to strengthen the linkage between debt relief and poverty eradication. In particular we are stressing the need for HIPC to deliver a greater reduction in the level of service payments in the early years to enable governments to invest sufficient resources in anti-poverty programmes such as health and education and so achieve the International Development Goals.