§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) whether she was consulted before her Department approved the £45.7 million loan from the International Finance Corporation to Ispat Karmet; [43765]
(2) whether she was consulted before officials from her Department approved the (a) £37.9 million loan to Ispat Karmet from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and (b) the £2.3 million World bank grant to Lakshmi Mittal from the World bank in May 2001; [43767]
(3) whether officials from the Office of the Prime Minister were consulted before her Department approved (a) the £45.7 million loan from the International Finance Corporation, (b) the £37.9 million loan to Ispat Karmet 747W from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and (c) the £2.3 million World bank grant to Lakshmi Mittal from the World bank in May 2001. [43766]
§ Clare ShortThe decision to support the £45.7 million loan to Ispat Karmet from the International Finance Corporation in 1997; the £37.9 million loan to Ispat Karmet from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and the £2.3 million World bank equity and quasi-equity investment to Lakshmi Mittal from the World bank in May 2001 was taken solely by DFID departmental officials. As I have repeatedly made clear officials from my Department work to policies set out in our published strategies for the EBRD, World bank and other international development banks. These decisions were uncontroversial and therefore not referred to Ministers.