Mr. Robert G. HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to give further support to structural adjustment in Africa under the second phase of the special programme of assistance for sub-Saharan Africa co-ordinated by the World bank.
§ Mrs. ChalkerOur support for economic reform programmes has been a central aspect of our aid policy in sub-Saharan Africa for several years. We pledged and provided £250 million of bilateral programme aid for the first three-year phase of the special programme of assistance for sub-Saharan Africa (SPA I). We are undertaking to commit up to £300 million bilaterally over the three years 1991–92 to 1993–94 in support of phase II of the special programme (SPA II). These funds will be available to countries selected by Her Majesty's government from among those pursuing economic reform programmes endorsed by the IMF and the IBRD and covered by the SPA.
British funds will be made available alongside funds provided by most bilateral donors and by the key multilateral aid agencies including the World bank, the IMF, the African development bank and the European development fund. Up to 75 per cent. of the United Kingdom bilateral funds will be untied for procurement from developing countries and from donors who are untying a similar or greater proportion of their bilateral contributions to the SPA.