§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those countries with whom he has recently discussed help from the United Kingdom as to the possible reduction of their debt burden. [108017]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for International Development announced on 21 December 1999 that the UK will be providing 100 per cent. relief on the debts of all the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, once the country qualifies for relief under the HIPC initiative. No extra conditions will apply.
Uganda will be one of the first countries that will benefit from the extra relief to be provided by the UK. In a meeting with the Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development just before Christmas, the Ugandan Treasury Secretary told them that the extra money will go towards meeting his country's commitment to universal primary education and towards lowering the pupil:teacher ratio in schools from today's level of 100:1 to 50:1 in 2003.