HC Deb 13 May 2003 vol 405 cc163-4W
Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the British Council has had with the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare on public sector training(a) inside and (b) outside Zimbabwe. [112932]

Mr. Rammell

The British Council is a non-political organisation. It has not discussed these issues with the MDC.

Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to President Mugabe on the arrest and treatment of MDC Members of Parliament; and if he will publish his dossier on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. [112934]

Mr. Rammell

We have repeatedly condemned the Mugabe regime for its violent attacks on the MDC. Most recently, the UK was at the forefront of preparing a resolution on Zimbabwe at the UN Commission on Human Rights. This condemned the Government of Zimbabwe for its attacks on the opposition and civil society and called upon it to comply with its international human rights obligations.

We receive detailed information on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe from numerous non-governmental and civil society organisations. We do not intend to publish a dossier of their findings, as this would only duplicate their reporting.

Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss human rights abuses in Zimbabwe with President Mbeki during his visit to South Africa. [112935]

Mr. Rammell

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will discuss Zimbabwe with the South African Government. He will explain that our objective is to see an end to the politically motivated violence and human rights abuses and the beginning of multi-party dialogue in Zimbabwe, as a first step towards restoring good governance and economic prosperity.

Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare with respect to the reform programme for Zimbabwe once President Mugabe stands down. [112936]

Mr. Rammell

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this. Any future reform programme for Zimbabwe will be a matter for a future Zimbabwean Government. We would monitor such a programme closely and engage with it where appropriate, but we are not trying to pre-judge such a process.

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