§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the United Kingdom representatives at the(a) World Bank, (b) IMF and (c) African Development Bank will ensure that the multilateral institutions pursue lending policies which take a realistic account of the ability of the debtor Government to repay. [43471]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe UK Government have played a leading role in encouraging the IMF, World Bank and the Multilateral Development Banks, including the African Development Bank, to pursue policies designed to promote sustainable economic growth and reductions in poverty. In particular, it attaches importance to ensuring that lending decisions are based on a careful assessment of a country's ability to absorb new lending and repay existing loans, to ensure that their debt burden is not increased.