Draft International Development Association (Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative) (Amendment) Order 2022 Draft International Development Association (Twentieth Replenishment) Order 2022 Debate

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Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Draft International Development Association (Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative) (Amendment) Order 2022 Draft International Development Association (Twentieth Replenishment) Order 2022

Amy Callaghan Excerpts
Monday 31st October 2022

(1 year, 6 months ago)

General Committees
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Amy Callaghan Portrait Amy Callaghan (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I will be brief, because most of what I was going to contribute has been said already.

The SNP’s position on this matter is clear: we have long supported the relief and cancellation of debt for poorer, struggling countries, empowering them to better tackle poverty and to build and improve their infrastructure. As an executive board member of the International Monetary Fund, the UK is in a prime position to raise that sensible and just proposition. I urge the Minister to relook at the example of Zambia, and to stop ordinary people paying the price of aid debt. The decision to reduce official development assistance was cited as a temporary measure. Does the Minister intend to shift away from that policy, or will it continue under his tenure in the Department? I would like to have some answers on those matters, and hopefully we can continue to discuss them further.