asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress is being made towards remitting Government external debt and rescheduling commercial debt in (a) Mozambique and (b) Ecuador; and when they expect payment of (a) interest and (b) capital on government debt to be cancelled in each case. [HL1440]

In response to the severe flooding, the UK has relieved Mozambique of all its bilateral official debt obligations under the Chancellor's policy for countries qualifying for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. The Government look forward to a multilateral treatment of the bilateral official debt of Ecuador once a satisfactory programme has been agreed with the International Monetary Fund.Her Majesty's Government are not party to discussions between countries and their commercial creditors.