§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the Government's policy towards the proposals by Jubilee 2000 that the unpayable debts owed by highly indebted poor countries be remitted by 31 December 2000; and what plans the Government have to encourage international support for these proposals. [5462]
§ Clare ShortThe Government shares many of the objectives of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, including the fundamental one of the eradication of poverty in developing countries. We believe that debt relief should accompany a wider commitment by debtors to create the conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth and lasting poverty reduction. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are pushing for full and rapid implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. We believe that much remains to be done and are pressing with urgency for the international community to provide further debt relief.