HC Deb 15 October 2003 vol 411 c281W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 25 September 2003, question ref 130694, what plans she has to make an assessment of the impact of the Everything But Arms agreement on the number of people who have lived or are predicted to live on $1 a day between 1990 and 2015 in sub-Saharan Africa. [132282]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Since the Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement came into effect in February 2001, there has been a rise in exports from countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This increase in export opportunities should help the growth of these countries and lead to a reduction in poverty. It is however, difficult to quantify the actual effect EBA will have on poverty, given the many factors that can influence changes in poverty levels.