HL Deb 25 May 1982 vol 430 cc1146-8WA
Lord Brockway

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there was a British representative at the recent meeting at Helsinki of the Development Committee of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; what decisions were reached on aid to the poorest nations in view of the decision of the USA to cut its contribution to the International Development Association; and, if Britain was represented, what was its representative's attitude to this consideration.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Belstead)

Her Majesty's Government were represented at the meeting. Our representative reaffirmed strong United Kingdom support for the International Development Association, whose level of resources in the current financial year had been improved by the recent action of the United Kingdom and some other donors in allowing their second (current) contributions to the Sixth Replenishment to be released in full. The United States have not cut their contribu- tion but are likely to extend its phasing beyond the three-year period originally envisaged. The consequences of this have still to be fully assessed but the Development Committee was informed of Her Majesty's Government's readiness to join with others in tackling the problem in a constructive way.

House adjourned at a quarter before eight o'clock.