§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions the Government have held with the England and Wales Cricket Board regarding the planned tour of Zimbabwe by England in 2004; [132569]
(2) what representations the Government has made to the International Cricket Council (ICC) concerning future tours to Zimbabwe by the England cricket team; what advice was received from the ICC; and when; [1325701
(3) which of his Ministers have held discussions with the England and Welsh Cricket Board concerning the planned tour by the England cricket team to Zimbabwe in 2004; and when the meetings were held; [132571]
(4) what the Government's policy is on the decision by the English Cricket Board to tour Zimbabwe in 2004; and what advice his Department is planning to give English supporters about travelling to Zimbabwe; [132575]
(5) what advice the England and Wales Cricket Board sought from his Department regarding the planned tour of Zimbabwe by England in 2004; and what advice he has given them. [132576]
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made concerning next year's proposed England cricket tour to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [132582]
§ Mr. StrawThe England cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe scheduled for late 2004 is a matter for the UK cricket authorities.
FCO Ministers have had no contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) or International Cricket Council (ICC) about next year's tour.
FCO officials have spoken with ECB officials and stand ready to further brief the ECB, as and when required, on the political situation inside Zimbabwe and on safety and security issues.
English supporters, like all travellers to Zimbabwe, are advised to refer to our regularly up-dated travel advice.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of employment of child soldiers in Zimbabwe. [133562]
§ Mr. MullinThe official minimum age for entry into the Zimbabwean armed forces is 18 years. We are not aware of the Zimbabwean armed forces systematically recruiting below this age.
The Zimbabwean "National Youth Service" was established in 2000. Nominally a voluntary training scheme for vocational skills, disaster management, patriotism and moral education, it is widely understood to operate as a youth militia for the ruling party. By the end of 2002 an estimated 9,000 young people had 537W undergone formal training in this scheme in five main camps and up to 20,000 were trained less formally elsewhere. This allegedly included weapons training. In July 2003, the Zimbabwe Defence Minister announced plans to formally integrate weapons training in the scheme's programme. The stated catchment age for the National Youth Service is 12–30 years.
The "National Youth Service" is now one of the most commonly reported violators of human rights in Zimbabwe. There are also numerous credible reports of young people in training camps being abused.
We deplore the political violence which is prevalent in Zimbabwe and will continue to work with our international partners to bring about a return to good governance and a respect for human rights, including the rights of the child, there.
§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the current economic and political situation in Zimbabwe. [132245]
§ Mr. MullinThe situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate. Last month saw the closure of the only independent daily newspaper, and last week saw the arrest of up to 200 trade unionists for peacefully demonstrating. As this year's meagre crop runs out, half the population will depend on food aid. The Zimbabwean people continue to struggle with hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and shortages of cash, food and fuel. The source of the problem is clear: bad governance and bad policies. We will continue to support all those working for peaceful change in Zimbabwe and a return to democracy, accountable government and respect for human rights.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that journalists from the United Kingdom have access to Zimbabwe. [132785]
§ Mr. MullinWe deplore Zimbabwe's draconian media legislation. We have made it clear that the expulsion of foreign journalists only serves to further damage Zimbabwe's reputation. We have also underlined that free speech and a free press are among the essential prerequisites for the restoration of Zimbabwe's relations with the international community.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure an end to the harassment of the political opposition within Zimbabwe. [132786]
§ Mr. MullinWe have consistently condemned the Mugabe government's harassment of the opposition, independent media and civil society. With our strong support, the EU has imposed sanctions on the ZANU (PF) leadership. The Commonwealth has suspended Zimbabwe from its Councils. We have encouraged Zimbabwe's neighbours to press ZANU (PF) to stop its violence towards the opposition. We will continue to support all those working peacefully for a return to a democratically elected government which respects human fights and the rule of law.