To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress she expects to be made by the year 2000 towards cancelling the unpayable debts of the poorest countries. [18449]

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer leads on debt policy. We want to see every country with an unsustainable debt burden at least to have started the process of securing a sustainable exit from their debt problems by the year 2000. And by then, decisions to grant debt relief to have been made for three quarters of the heavily indebted poor countries that need it.These are achievable objectives, as set out in the "Mauritius Mandate" launched at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in September. We will continue to press other creditors to support these targets.