§ Ms DrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which heavily indebted poor countries have produced poverty reduction strategy papers in partnership with the IMF and World bank; and which countries are in the process of developing such papers. [109528]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonPoverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are to be national strategies, drawn up by the countries themselves, in consultation with civil society and the World Bank and IMF. Interim PRSPs have been produced by the three countries (Uganda, Bolivia and Mauritania) who recently reached decision point under the enhanced HIPC Initiative.
Work is currently underway to produce PRSPs in the remaining countries currently in the HIPC process. The Department for International Development and NGOs are providing important technical assistance to countries in that regard. Many countries already have some form of poverty reduction strategy and it is clearly important to build on this to ensure the first principle of the new approach to poverty reduction, that of country ownership.