§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to improve market access to Africa and speed the reduction in debt to countries demonstrating significant economic reform.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The European Union already provides generous access to those African countries which are members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group, under the Lomé Convention. The EU is currently looking at ways to improve preferential access for least developed countries, most of which are in Africa. The EU is also looking at ways to improve and simplify the rules of origin in order to allow developing countries to make better use of preferential access.
The Government believe that relief should be granted as quickly as possible to the poorest countries which are heavily burdened with debt, once they have demonstrated their commitment to significant economic reform.