Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of US sanctions on (a) Venezuela and (b) Cuba on the ability of those countries to respond effectively to the covid-19 pandemic; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure essential medical supplies can reach those nations.

The UK remains deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and its long-term economic crisis. Venezuela's economy has shrunk 65% since 2013, and not as a result of economic sanctions imposed from 2017, but caused primarily by political and economic mismanagement and the gross misuse of power by the illegitimate Maduro regime and its predecessor. The collapse of the country's health system is one example of what has gone wrong, at such high cost to the Venezuelan people, and long predates the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through DFID, HMG has to date committed £44.5 million to support the humanitarian crisis, including ongoing work being delivered by key partners, such as the UN, to support the Covid-19 response and alleviate the humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Venezuela, including through the provision of medical supplies.

The UK Government does not support the US sanctions regime against Cuba. Our Ambassador to Havana regularly discusses with the Cuban authorities how we can develop our bilateral relationship, including how we might work together to deliver a robust global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We were most appreciative of the Cuban authorities' support with the repatriation of passengers from the cruise ship Braemar in March after passengers on the ship were stricken by the Covid-19 virus.