Cuba: Humanitarian Situation

Lord Callanan Excerpts

Tuesday 9th June 2026 Lords Chamber

We welcome confirmation from the Governments of both Cuba and the United States that talks are under way to permit an urgent improvement in the current circumstances, and we urge all parties to move swiftly to an agreement that can alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people. We also welcome and encourage confidence-building measures that can help to reach that goal, including the release of political prisoners and easing of restrictive measures. Our priority is the safety and welfare of British nationals in Cuba, alongside the resilience of the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, our two overseas territories in the region. We remain deeply concerned for the Cuban people, and will continue to support constructive engagement, monitor humanitarian needs, and work with international partners to encourage solutions that ease hardship and promote long-term stability”.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, the original Question in the other place from Jeremy Corbyn MP was fundamentally misguided. The people of Cuba have long suffered from economic stagnation and political repression, and the Cuban state has a long history of abusing its own people’s political, civil and human rights. While the US sanctions have clearly had an effect, that context must not be forgotten when we are discussing the humanitarian situation in Cuba today. Can the Minister say what discussions the Government have had with US counterparts since the beginning of the embargo? What assessment has his department made of the news that a sanctioned Russian oil tanker arrived in Havana on 30 March this year? Can he confirm whether or not the Attorney-General has given advice to the Government on the legality of the US embargo?

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Lords (Lord Collins of Highbury) (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his series of questions but, as he is well aware, successive United Kingdom Governments have opposed the United States’ embargo on Cuba and have done so consistently over many occasions for almost 30 years, certainly at the United Nations. We will continue that. Our position has been very clear that engagement and involvement are a way that we can deliver very clear messages about human rights. We have strongly made those points to both Cuba and the United States and we work with allies to pursue that position. In relation to reports of third-country involvement in Russia’s illegal war, we will continue to take appropriate action, together with our international partners, to deter those responsible.