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G8: 2005 Summit

My Lords, I do not agree with the noble Lord, Lord Blaker, that the Government have not been doing enough to work with their African partners. Noble Lords will know that that is something into which I put a great deal of stress and effort when I was Africa Minister. That was continued by my honourable friend Chris Mullin and the baton has now been taken up by my noble friend Lord Triesman. However, as I have said many times from the Dispatch Box, this Government’s voice on Zimbabwe is much weaker than it should be in the international community because of our history and because of what previous governments did by not challenging what happened in Zimbabwe with respect to UDI, land and other elements. That is the reality that has to be recognised. I was reminded of this only last week when I participated in a ““Question Time”” programme from Johannesburg where the view of the public in African countries, including South Africa, is very different from that which has been expressed by noble Lords opposite. With respect to where the money for the Middle East is to come from, I understand that it will be part of the development funding that comes from G8 and other countries.