Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterpart in Zimbabwe on the potential impact of the Health Services Bill on (a) workers’ rights, (b) rights of assembly and expression and (c) health service capacity in that country.

The Foreign Secretary has not held discussions with his counterpart in Zimbabwe on the potential impact of the Health Services Bill.

However the former Minister for Africa raised broader human rights issues, including freedom of peaceful assembly and association, with the Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe on 30 June last year. And our Ambassador in Harare made a public statement on the right to peaceful assembly and association on 2 October 2022.

Embassy officials regularly engage with the Government of Zimbabwe on how to improve health service capacity. Over the last 10 years the UK has provided over £300 million in support for health system strengthening, health security and ending preventable deaths. We also discuss overall economic management including public financial management.