Georgia

Lord Hannay of Chiswick Excerpts

Tuesday 11th December 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Dykes]

My Lords—

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Order.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde)]

My Lords, there is plenty of time for both noble Lords. I think that we can hear from the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, and then my noble friend.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick]

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Dykes.

I should admit that I was in Georgia by chance the week before the parliamentary elections, and, perhaps to offset some of the comments this afternoon, I should say that the massive demonstrations that took place then after the revelation of terrible human rights abuses in Georgian prisons were impeccable. There was no violence on the part of protesters and there was no force used by the police. What we need to do, surely—

[Noble Lords]

Question!

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick]

I said that what we need to do, surely, is support those people in Georgia who showed that degree of maturity in advance of the elections.

[Noble Lords]

Question!

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick]

I have asked a question.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

I thank the noble Lord for those comments. The previous Government were not perfect. There is a very large prison population in Georgia and prison conditions were clearly awful. The current Government are not perfect either; media freedom is still very limited, but we have to do what we can to encourage a process of transition to full democracy, which is still under way.