§ 3. Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West)What recent representations his Department has made on the issue of land reform in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [61421]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Tony Lloyd)We have expressed our concern to the Zimbabwe Government about their decision to issue 841 acquisition orders. In our view, the Zimbabwe Government's actions represent a major step back from the position agreed by all sides at the land conference in September. We will continue to press the Zimbabwe Government to follow the due process of law, including the right of appeal against acquisition and for fair compensation.
§ Mr. BradyI am grateful to the Minister for making clear the Government's opposition to the policy of the Zimbabwe Government in seeking to confiscate land, which is illegal, as he said, as well as racist. Will he make it clear that that condemnation extends to ceasing British Government aid to Zimbabwe should confiscation proceed?
§ Mr. LloydNo, because British aid to Zimbabwe is not programme aid. It is not Government-to-Government aid, but aid tied to projects that are designed to help the poorest people in Zimbabwe. It would be irresponsible to 658 say that we wanted to pursue—as we do—co-operation with the Zimbabwean Government that would have the effect of distributing land in a way that favoured the poor of Zimbabwe while threatening to cut off aid designed to help precisely those poor Zimbabweans.
§ Mr. Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok)Although I have criticisms of the way in which the Zimbabwean Government have proceeded, does the Minister accept that inequality of land ownership and control must be addressed? Will he undertake that the British Government will do all that they can to ensure that the severe difficulties faced by many ordinary Zimbabwean citizens are addressed?
§ Mr. LloydYes, consistent with what I have already told the House, the British Government have always made it clear that we would support a process of land acquisition that had certain features. The process must be transparent; at the moment, we do not have that certainty. It must be fair, which means that there must be an adequate compensation package and an adequate challenge regime. In particular, the land transfer must favour the very poorest people in Zimbabwe, not those who seek to better their own already well-funded personal circumstances. Within that, we will help the Zimbabweans, but not on the basis of their present proposals.
§ Mr. Michael Howard (Folkestone and Hythe)Does not the project aid of which the Minister spoke enable the Government of Zimbabwe to spend huge sums on prosecuting a war in the Congo? Is there not a case for reconsidering that aid in the light of that expenditure and of their land expropriation proposals?
§ Mr. LloydNo. That is not the effect of our assistance, which, whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman likes it or not, goes to the poorest people in Zimbabwe. If he believes that the Zimbabwean Government would replace British project aid with Zimbabwean Government assistance, he is wrong. It is in those circumstances that we will continue our policies for poverty eradication in Zimbabwe. We call upon not only the Zimbabweans, but all parties to the war in the Congo, to operate an effective ceasefire, get round the conference table and end the conflict.