Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to assist Zambia in its attempts to be the first nation to benefit from the Common Framework debt cancellation programme.

The Common Framework was agreed in November 2020 by the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, to help deliver a long-term, sustainable approach for supporting low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities.

In its February 2022 communique, the G20 reiterated its commitment to step up efforts to implement the Common Framework in a timely, orderly and coordinated manner. Progress in implementing the Common Framework has been a regular feature in the Chancellor’s discussions in the G7 and G20 and - as a creditor to Zambia - it is a priority to work with our international partners to ensure swift progress on the debt treatment.