HC Deb 26 June 2000 vol 352 cc346-7W
Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries which have had their debts to the United Kingdom cancelled as part of the debt relief programme for the poorest countries; and what the cost of the programme to the UK has been to date. [126970]

Clare Short

To date, the Government have provided approximately £450 million on export credit debt relief to the following countries, which are classified as Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC):

  • Benin;
  • Bolivia;
  • Burkina Faso;
  • Central African Republic;
  • Cameroon;
  • Cote d'Ivoire;
  • Ethiopia;
  • Guyana;
  • Mali;
  • Mauritania;
  • Mozambique;
  • Nicaragua;
  • Niger;
  • Senegal;
  • Sierra Leone;
  • Tanzania;
  • Togo;
  • Uganda;
    • 347W
  • Vietnam;
  • Yemen; and
  • Zambia.

These countries, along with the rest of the HIPC countries, will have the majority of their debt cancelled when they qualify under the revised HIPC framework. In addition, the Government are unilaterally providing 100 per cent. relief for qualifying HIPCs on any remaining export credit debt.

So far, Bolivia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda have reached Decision Point, the first milestone under the enhanced HIPC framework at which debt relief starts to flow. Between them, these countries still owe the Export Credits Guarantee Department some £140 million. This will be cancelled when they complete the HIPC process.

Aid debts to the poorest countries have already been cancelled.