§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Institution for the Multilateral Protection of pan-African Commercial Transactions on direct investment in Africa; what regional differences there are; what impact the work of the Institution has had on development(a) throughout Africa, (b) in the regions with the highest increase in direct investment and (c) in the regions with the lowest increase in direct investment; and if he will make a statement. [134422]
§ Hilary BennDFID has not made an assessment of the impact of the Institution for the Multilateral Protection of pan-African Commercial Transactions on direct investment in Africa. We believe such an assessment would be most appropriately carried out by the World bank who provided a $5 million IDA (International Development Association) loan for the establishment of the Africa Trade Insurance Agency (as IMPACT is also known) in 2001 and as such the initiative will be subject to IDA procedures for assessment and review.