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Debt Relief (Clarification)

In my written statement of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 43-44WS I said that 20 heavily indebted poor countries had had 100 per cent. of their debts to the IMF cancelled in January 2006, and another, Cameroon, since. I wish to clarify that, in January, the IMF cancelled 100 per cent. of the debt stock held by 19 countries (including 17 HIPCs, 13 of which were African) and has cancelled 100 per cent. of the debt stock of two other HIPCs, Cameroon and Mauritania, since. Some 21 countries have now therefore received 100 per cent. debt stock cancellation at the IMF.