§ Sir Thomas ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of World bank structural adjustment programmes in Africa; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe recent World bank report "Adjustment in Africa" examined the performance of 29 African countries which drew up adjustment programmes in the 1980s. We endorse its two basic conclusions.
Those countries which consistently implemented comprehensive adjustment policies had achieved better economic performance than those which did not. Economic reform is only part of the effort to secure sustainable growth and poverty reduction in Africa; parallel efforts are also needed to improve governance; basic social services; and infrastructure.