§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to give Vietnam financial assistance to help pay arrears owed to the IMF.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe United Kingdom strongly supports the internationally agreed strategy for assisting developing countries with their arrears to the IMF and World bank, demonstrated by our active role in clearing Guyana's and Zambia's arrears. We have no direct bilateral aid programme with Vietnam and hence at present are not in a position to offer a financial contribution in the context of the settlement of Vietnam's arrears. We are keeping the position under review.