§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the target set of reducing the debts of the poorest countries by £50 billion. [73920]
§ Clare ShortThe Government are committed to the international development targets, which include halving the proportion of people living in absolute poverty by 2015. For the poorest, most indebted countries, who are similarly committed to poverty eradication, faster and deeper debt relief is required to enable them to invest sufficient resources in poverty reduction programmes to meet these targets. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have therefore challenged the international community to increase debt relief and increase aid flows to poor countries. Our objective over the coming months is to get agreement to cancel $50 billion of debt and to increase development assistance to $60 billion by the year 2000.