§ 11. Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policies on poverty reduction in Peru. [157653]
§ Clare ShortAlthough a middle-income country, Peru has a serious poverty problem with 41 per cent. of the population classed as poor and 15 per cent. as extremely poor and unable to meet food needs. The Government of President Fujimori grew increasingly corrupt before it collapsed in late 2000 and in the process undermined and reversed the progress on poverty reduction that they had achieved in the mid 1990s.
After the interim Paniagua Government was formed in November 2000, we concluded that our future strategy should remain focused on the problem of inequality in Peru and would be centred on enabling poor people, especially indigenous groups and women, to realise their social and economic rights, play their full role in society and get out of poverty. Once the Peruvian presidential election (now going to a second round in May or June) is decided and a new elected Government take office on 28 July, we will open discussions with them on the future shape of our support for poverty elimination. We will seek to work with the Peruvian Government, civil society and the international community to maximise progress towards meeting the international development targets in Peru.