§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he last met representatives of opposition parties in Zimbabwe; and when he next expects to meet representatives. [147344]
§ Hilary BennSince my appointment, I have not had any formal meetings with members of Zimbabwean opposition parties. Although I did have a brief conversation with the Secretary General of the MDC during his visit in November 2003. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and other FCO Ministers have had regular contacts with the Movement for Democratic Change, most recently during the visit to the UK of the Secretary General of the MDC. DFID officials also have occasional contact with representatives of Zimbabwean political parties.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with Amnesty International about(a) the level and (b) the nature of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. [148127]
953W
§ Hilary BennThe British Embassy in Harare is in regular contact with a number of human rights organisations operating there who are monitoring the situation on the ground. Embassy officials in Harare and in London regularly receive reporting from Amnesty International about the level and nature of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, but have not met Amnesty recently to discuss Zimbabwe.