Morgan Tsvangirai to visit Westminster

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is to visit Parliament next week as part of his upcoming trip to the UK, the Commons was told today.

Tory Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield), vice-chairman of the all-party group on Zimbabwe, said the "courageous" politician would be coming to meet MPs and peers from the group on Tuesday.

His visit is likely to follow meetings with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling as he seeks financial support for his country.

This Saturday, Mr Tsvangirai will deliver an appeal to Zimbabwean refugees and asylum seekers living in Britain to return home to help to rebuild their shattered country.

Ahead of the visit, Sir Nicholas called on Foreign Secretary David Miliband to make a statement to MPs on progress on democracy in Zimbabwe "so we can help the people with meaningful aid which at the moment we are not in a position to do".

Commons Leader Harriet Harman, in exchanges on coming parliamentary business, told MPs she would ask Mr Miliband to consider a statement "to set out the extensive contact ... our Government is having in support of the people of Zimbabwe and also the extensive aid development programme that is going into that country."