§ Lord Steinbergasked Her Majesty's Government:
What meetings they have had with the England and Wales Cricket Board, its chairman, manager or players regarding the current cricket tour of Zimbabwe; and what advice they have given. [HL267]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)My right honourable friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport met the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to discuss the tour on 6 May 2004. Officials from the Department for Culture Media and Sport and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in both London and Harare have been in contact with the ECB since then.
During these discussions, the Government made it clear that, while they would have preferred that the tour did not take place, it was for the ECB and not the Government to make the decision. The Government have no powers to instruct the ECB to tour or not to tour.