§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to her answer of 14 January 2003,Official Report, column 564, on HIPC, what response the UK Government has had from the World bank and the IMF to the call for their approach to topping up to be widened to provide additional relief for HIPC countries with unsustainable debts. [99686]
§ Clare ShortWe continue, with others, to press the IMF and the World Bank to change the rules on topping up, so that any HIPC country facing unsustainable debts which has demonstrated its commitment to poverty reduction and economic reform can qualify for this additional debt relief. At discussions on topping up, to be held in the IMF and the World bank boards over the next month we shall press to move this issue forward. We are working with others to achieve this. Topping up is calculated on a case by case basis, depending on the assessment of each country's economic prospects.