Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Lee Excerpts

Tuesday 6th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Laura Sandys (South Thanet) (Con)]

1. What his most recent assessment is of the state of UK-Zimbabwe relations.

[Jessica Lee (Erewash) (Con)]

4. What his most recent assessment is of the state of UK-Zimbabwe relations.

[Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire) (Con)]

8. What his most recent assessment is of the state of UK-Zimbabwe relations.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hague]

We condemn illegal farm and property seizures, which contravene the global political agreement and a Southern African Development Community decision, and which do nothing to advance Zimbabwe’s economy —we should make that very clear. Economic regeneration in Zimbabwe depends on respect for the rule of law, and we urge the Zimbabwean Government to respect the rule of law and to end such seizures.

[Jessica Lee]

In the light of the concerns raised by the UN’s Kimberley process into mining diamonds in Zimbabwe, what measures do the Government have in place to ensure that conflict diamonds do not make their way into the UK?

[Mr Hague]

The European Union, including the United Kingdom, has called for efforts to reach agreement through the Kimberley process so that all mining in the Marange fields in Zimbabwe are subject to it. In that way, diamonds could actually help the economic development of Zimbabwe in future. We would like to sort that out within the Kimberley process, so that those diamonds can then be used productively.