Cuba: Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Cuba: Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement

Lord Callanan Excerpts
Tuesday 25th March 2025

(4 days, 16 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Collins of Highbury Portrait Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)
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I think I have already answered the noble Lord: we will put ratification of this agreement before Parliament, but it is a matter of parliamentary time. Since the election, we have started the cross-Whitehall consultation to ensure that we can properly implement it. But I repeat that positive collaboration with Cuba is possible without partial implementation of the PDCA, and that is really important to understand. Climate change is just one aspect, but other aspects of collaboration can happen without the full implementation.

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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My Lords, the Human Rights Watch World Report 2024 paints a desperate picture of the rights situation on the “peaceful Caribbean island” of the noble Lord, Lord Woodley. It reports, among other things:

“Cubans who criticize the government risk criminal prosecution. They are not guaranteed due process”,


and:

“Authorities routinely block access to many news websites within Cuba”.


When I visited, I did not speak to any taxi drivers but getting access to the internet at all was incredibly difficult and expensive. Therefore, how are the Government utilising the provisions under the PDCA to promote progress on human rights in Cuba?