§ Lord Chadlingtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidance they are giving to the England and Wales Cricket Board over its scheduled tour of Zimbabwe. [HL1955]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The decision as to whether to tour Zimbabwe is for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the ECB on 22 January drawing the ECB's attention to the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and the resulting isolation of that country's government by the international community. He noted that the EU, the US and others maintain targeted restrictive measures against leading members of the Zimbabwe regime, and that the UK has taken a leading role on this issue; and advised the ECB to consider whether a high profile England cricket tour at this time would be consistent with that approach.