§ Mr. Miscampbellasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a further statement regarding the United Kingdom's proposed membership of the African Development Bank.
§ Mr. Neil MartenAs I told the House on 13 May—[Vol. 4, c. 279–80]—the United Kingdom intends, subject to the approval of Parliament, to accede to membership of the African Development Bank. This decision was taken on the understanding that the amended agreement establishing the Bank, enabling non-regional countries to join, had entered into force.
However, during the recent annual meeting of the bank's board of governors, held in Lomé from 11 to 15 May, the president of the bank told representatives of non-regional countries, including the United Kingdom, that ratification by the required number of regional members necessary to amend the bank's articles so as to allow non-regional countries to join, and to subscribe to its capital stock, had not in fact yet been completed. The president hoped that these would be completed soon so that non-regional accession could proceed.
In the light of this, Her Majesty's Government will therefore await confirmation that the amendments have entered into force before asking parliamentary approval for the draft statutory instrument and the draft Order in Council referred to in my previous reply.