§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with(a) UN officials and (b) regional development banks regarding the use of microcredit schemes to tackle world poverty. [133139]
§ Hilary BennDFID supports the contribution that microcredit can make to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and is working with a range of multilateral and bilateral partners to improve the effectiveness of microfinance. Along with the UN, the World bank and the Regional Development Banks, DFID is a member of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) which works as a multilateral donor organisation specialising in microfinance, and seeks to harmonise donor approaches to the industry. We encourage all those working in this area to provide assistance within the context of country-owned development strategies. I very much welcome the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mircofinance which I addressed on 21 October.