11. Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what monitoring her Department will carry out of the uses to which funds which are released as a result of debt cancellation are put. [111183]
§ Clare ShortThe revision to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative agreed last year requires countries to develop national poverty reduction strategies. Resources arising from debt relief will be spent within this framework. I place great importance on civil society and the international community being able to monitor the implementation and outcomes of these strategies, and I recognise that increased international support will be required to ensure that this takes place. We are devoting additional resources to improve the statistics essential for monitoring progress in HIPC countries, as part of the new Partnership for Statistics for Development in 21st Century initiative, launched in November 1999.