§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the US Government about the role of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Africa; and if she will make a statement. [87872]
§ Clare ShortDFID has had frequent senior level contact with the US Administration on the development of its Millennium Challenge Account since it was announced in March this year. We have encouraged the USA to focus the Account's resources on the poorest countries, many of which are in Africa.
The US Administration has recently announced the criteria against which it proposes that the Millennium Challenge Corporation should manage the Account. But it is not yet clear how many, or which, African countries can be expected to qualify, or how much of the funding will go to Africa.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the members of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, regarding the role of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation in Africa. [87873]
§ Clare ShortBaroness Amos (the Prime Minister's G8 Special Representative on Africa) recently met G8 colleagues and NEPAD representatives in Accra to discuss implementation of the G8 Africa Action Plan, which includes a section on aid volume and effectiveness. The role of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Africa was not discussed explicitly in Accra. We continue to work with African governments and other donors on aid effectiveness and are encouraging the US Administration to focus the work of the Millennium Challenge Corporation on low income countries, many of which are in Africa.