§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what view he is taking about the quality of response by the Government of Kenya to previous World bank and International Monetary Fund criticisms; and what action will be urged by the British Government's director at the World bank in forthcoming debates in Kenya.
§ Mr. Lennox BoydI have been asked to reply. The IMF and World bank believe that there has been good progress600W recently in the implementation of Kenya's economic reform programme. We share that view. Macroeconomic stability is being restored; and the agreed structural reforms are broadly on schedule. We shall encourage the continued vigorous implementation of the economic reform agenda.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the consequences of World bank programmes on the poor of Kenya, the role of the Kenyan Government in promoting or alleviating poverty, and the action that should be taken in future programmes to alleviate poverty.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have been asked to reply.
We have been assisting in the preparation of a poverty assessment, sponsored by the Kenyan Government and a number of donors, including the World bank. This aims to provide a thorough analysis of both the nature of poverty, and the impact on the poor of the Government's structural adjustment programme, which includes a social dimension. Poverty in Kenya will be reduced by faster economic growth, which effective implementation of the adjustment programme will help to achieve, and by direct interventions favouring specific poor groups.