HC Deb 21 January 2003 vol 398 cc230-1W
Tony Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with African leaders on the situation in Zimbabwe. [91798]

Mr. Rammell

We are in regular contact with African leaders about Zimbabwe. The crisis there is of concern to the entire region. Zimbabwe was discussed at two recent ministerial meetings attended by Baroness Amos: the EU-Southern African Development Community meeting in Maputo and the EU-Africa meeting in Ouagadougou, both in November 2002.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects he estimates reside in Zimbabwe; and how many have left in the last 12 months. [91263]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

There are 26,000 British nationals registered with our high commission in Harare. We believe that in total there are approximately 35,000 British Nationals in Zimbabwe. We do not have precise numbers for those that have left Zimbabwe. However, based on contact with the British community and our consular warden network, we estimate that 2,000 British nationals may have left Zimbabwe in the past 12 months.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions banned representatives of the Zimbabwe Government have visited(a) the UK and (b) the EU in the last 12 months, and under what authority. [91267]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Members of the Zimbabwe Government have been refused entry to the UK in line with the EU's travel ban.

The EU Common Position of 18 February 2002 states that member states may grant exemptions from the travel ban where travel is justified on the grounds of attending meetings of international bodies. For this reason, the following Zimbabwean Government officials have visited the EU in the last six months.

Aeneas Chigwedere, Minister of Education, Culture and Sports was in Paris for a UNESCO meeting on 9 and 10 January. Two junior ZANU(PF) Ministers, Christopher Kuruneri, Deputy Minister for Finance and Paul Mangwana, Minister of State for State Enterprises were in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in November 2002. This meeting broke down when the European Parliament refused to grant the Zimbabweans access to the building. ZANU (PF)'s Trade Minister, Samuel Mumbengegwi was in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in September. Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, was in Lyon for an Interpol meeting in August.