HC Deb 13 June 2003 vol 406 cc263-5W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development from which departmental budget the money provided to ECGD by the Department for debt relief comes. [115101]

Hilary Benn

While DFID is implementing the Governments 100 per cent. bilateral debt relief policy, the cost of financing this policy is being met by HM Treasury. At the time of the Chancellors announcement in December 1999, he made it clear that the money paid to ECGD for the countries qualifying for HIPC debt relief would be additional to the international development budget.

Dr. Cable

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the payments made by the Department to the ECGD for debt relief, and the dates on which they were made; and if he will list the payments made by the Treasury to his Department in order to cover this debt relief, and the dates on which such payments were made. [115103]

Hilary Benn

To date, DFID has paid £42,359,392 to ECGD in respect of claims made under the Governments 100 per cent. bilateral debt relief policy. I attach a list of payments, including the dates they fell due, to ECGD. Of this amount, HM Treasury transferred £37,004,492 to DFID in the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2001–02 (covering payments in 2000–01 and 2001–02) and 2002–03. DFID also received £6.5 million for 2002–03 and a further £6.5 million for 2003–04 in the Spending Review 2002 (SR2000). Any additional costs for the current financial year will be reclaimed in the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2003–04.

100 per cent. bilateral debt relief policy: payments to ECGD
£
Countries/Date Payments Due Amount paid
Benin
24 October 2000 28,402.78
24 April 2001 27,238.73
24 October 2001 23,584.45
24 April 2002 19,672.42
24 October 2002 19,780.51
Bolivia
30 June 2000 and 1 July 2000 406,101.20
15 August 2000 2,232.31
31 December 2000 and 1 January 2001 463,529.11
30 June 2001 409,427.62
Cameroon
31 December 2000 232,214.16
30 June 2001 299,238.01
31 December 2001 63,663.06
30 June 2002 54,104.34
31 December 2002 63,879.35
Chad
August 2001 157,796.56
Ethiopia
30 June 2002 25,001.34
30 September 2002 7,784.56
31 March 2003 5,944.70
Ghana
22 January 2003 124,516.62
Guinea
31 December 2001 12,305.85
30 June 2002 6,275.50
31 December 2002 7,765.07
Guyana
23 December 2000 2,458,122.98
23 May 2001 1,227,938.39
Malawi
August 2001 3,648,338.03
February 2003 758.99
Mali
20 November 2000 53,792.10
20 May 2001 50,094.71
20 November 2001 44,478.62
20 May 2002 14,619.07
29 January 2003 18,203.72
08 April 2003 4,051.16
Mauritania
31 December 2000 5,128.92
30 June 2001 4,014.71
31 December 2001 4,520.37
30 June 2002 4,117.83
Mozambique
13 February 2003 6,998,632.39
Niger
30 June 2002 95,042.56
31 December 2002 31,105.97
100 per cent. bilateral debt relief policy: payments to ECGD
£
Countries/Date Payments Due Amount paid
Senegal
17 December 2000 11,380.38
15,17,30 June 2001 15,803.01
01 June 2001 144,902.70
23 August 2001 17,342.23
15,17,31 December 2001 15,139.39
15,17,30 June 2002 12,793.22
Tanzania
01 June 2001 237,236.29
14 August 2001 879.82
01 December 2001 148,505.12
01 June 2002 97,653.28
01 December 2002 120,565.18
February 2003 18,419,160.39
Uganda
1 April 2000 187,973.06
1 September 2000 176,886.96
Yemen
1 August 2001 94,524.86
September 2001 662.32
1 February 2002 90,503.53
1 August 2002 71,609.74
August 2002 3,092,538.47
Zambia
August 2001 1,718,589.93
November 2002 and February 2003 561,323.53
Total amount paid to ECGD 42,359,392.18

Note:

Payments are made as near as possible to the dates they are due.

Dr. Cable

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development by what amount the Departments budget has changed in the last three years in order to pay the ECGD for debt relief to highly indebted poor countries; and if he will make a statement. [115105]

Hilary Benn

The budget for the Department for International Development has been increased by £43.5 million over the last three financial years (2000–01 to 2002–03) to finance the 100 per cent. bilateral debt relief policy. To date, DFID has paid some £42.4 million to ECGD in respect of claims under this policy.