Iran
Debate between Lord Cashman and Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
The noble Lord is right. There are many who have lived and worked here and been educated here, as he says. But it is not right that we encourage people to take dangerous journeys, and I know that is not what he would wish us to do. We do not have a formal safe route situation at the moment with regard to Iran, and we are not actually seeing large numbers of people fleeing the country at this stage. Obviously we will keep a close watch on this and, if we need to change stance, of course we can.
Lord Cashman (Non-Afl)
My Lords, I reiterate the point that there are no safe, legal routes from Iran to reach this country. I urge the Minister to look sympathetically at this. No matter how somebody reaches the safety of the United Kingdom, if they are from Iran—and, I would argue, other countries, but in this instance we are talking about Iran—let us give them the gift of asylum and sanctuary and consider their claims.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We do consider their claims. As the noble Lord says, there are several countries in the world where life is incredibly dangerous and people feel the need to seek refuge, sometimes in the United Kingdom. We will consider their claims fairly and in line with all our established decision-making. It is important to understand that this country takes seriously its responsibilities and its duty to provide asylum and protection to those in desperate need, but I do not want to say anything that could be interpreted as encouragement to people to fall into the arms of people traffickers or take those often deadly journeys, particularly across the sea.
AIDS
Debate between Lord Cashman and Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We would not be forgiven, but that is not what we are doing. We are now the third-biggest contributor to the Global Fund, which is the world’s leading mechanism for fighting AIDS, TB and malaria, and we have continued to fund UNAIDS. We work through Unitaid and with the Robert Carr Fund. The UK is doing everything that it can, internationally and domestically, to fight HIV and AIDS. We must not forget the work that we are doing to fight against the rollback of LGBT rights, the absence of which does so much harm to prevention and promotes the stigmatisation that leads to people being unable to access their treatment. I respect the incredible work that the noble Lord has done over very many years and I look forward to continuing to be held to account by him on this vital issue.
Lord Cashman (Non-Afl)
My Lords, I refer to my registered interests, particularly as a patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust. Today, on World AIDS Day, we remember those, some of them friends, whom we lost to HIV-related illnesses, and how very different the world might have been had they survived those dark times. So today I ask: domestically, what provisions will the Government undertake to ensure that people living with HIV who subsequently go into residential social care do not face stigma and discrimination because of their HIV status or associated status?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
That would be a fascinating question to put to my colleague the Health Minister, but the issue the noble Lord raises is really important, because it speaks to the point about stigmatisation and awareness, and about the amazing fact—which, 20 or 30 years ago, would not have been the case—that so many people now live incredibly long, fulfilling and healthy lives. I have many friends with HIV and I am sure that, one day—they might not want to talk about this—they will be looking at the prospect of being in some kind of care facility. It is vital that that stage of their life can be lived with dignity and in as fulfilling a way as possible. There is no reason whatever that their HIV status should be an impediment to that, and the Government will work to do whatever they need to do to make sure that that is the case.
Belarus: Elections
Debate between Lord Cashman and Baroness Chapman of Darlington(11 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
The noble Lord is completely right about the state of democracy in Belarus, such as it is. This situation saddens us all. We look at what has happened in Moldova and in Ukraine, and we cannot help but see the future if we leave some of those activities unchecked. Russia is clearly intent on strengthening its grip on nations outside its borders, which is exactly what we have seen in Belarus, as the noble Lord said.
Lord Cashman (Non-Afl)
My Lords, the Belarus Free Theatre has played a crucial role in the last 10 years in spreading the truth about what is going on within Belarus. Will the Minister therefore ensure that the theatre company achieves the crucial financial support that it needs to carry on with this vital work?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I do not know about the specific theatre company that the noble Lord describes, but its work does sound incredibly important. At times as desperate and bleak as these for Belarus, this kind of activity has all the more value.