Oral Answers to Questions

Kate Osamor Excerpts

Tuesday 13th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley]

First, we do not recognise the terminology about apartheid. Any judgment on serious crimes under international law is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for Governments or non-judicial bodies. We do work closely with the Israeli Government. We condemn any incidents of violence by settlers against the Palestinians.

[Kate Osamor (Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op)]

12. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of trends in the level of sovereign debt in Africa on stability in that region.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Mr Andrew Mitchell)]

The significant debt vulnerabilities in many sub-Saharan African countries create risks for their growth, development and stability.

[Kate Osamor]

I thank the Minister for his reply. We have seen crippling crises affect various parts of Africa this year, from drought in the horn of Africa to floods in Nigeria. The debt burden of many low and middle income countries impacts the state’s capacity to cope, and the crisis only worsens the economic outlook further. As the charity Debt Justice has proposed, will the Government commit to supporting a universal framework for debt cancellation when an extreme climate event strikes, to prevent that double whammy?

[Mr Mitchell]

We look at every way of helping to address the problem that the hon. Lady sets out. We are providing bilateral technical assistance to help many countries better manage their public funding, and we are working with partners in the Paris Club and the G20 on how to address international debt issues together. We have already seen the progress that results from that in Ghana, where I am going today, and in Malawi.