§ 11.5 a.m.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the report of the Organisation of American States' Commission on Human Rights on the treatment of political prisoners in Cuba.]
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME)Yes, my Lords, Her Majesty's Government deplore and condemn the ill-treatment of prisoners, whether in Cuba or anywhere else. Her Majesty's Government's status to intervene is limited to action on behalf of British subjects. Such action has been taken on a number of occasions.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that the report of the Organisation of American States' Commission contains evidence of the existence of 75,000 political prisoners in Cuba: one out of every 94 Cubans; that these prisoners are treated in a most humiliating and oppressive manner, some of them being confined in cells in the old fortresses too small to enable them to lie down, cells in which they are obliged to carry out their physiological functions on the floor; that the food in these places is a mockery and has led to vomiting and dysentry among 95 per cent. of the 10,000 prisoners in the Isle of Pines; and, finally, that arbitrary executions are being carried out daily by laughing militiamen within earshot of the crowded cells?
Having regard to this, may I ask my noble friend whether Her Majesty's Government, while obviously avoiding interference with the internal affairs of 912 Cuba, and having regard to the newly-found and very welcome unity between the United States Government, the Soviet Government and Her Majesty's Government in other matters, would take up the question of the Cuban political prisoners with these two Governments with a view to pressure being brought to bear on General Castro to clear up this shocking state of affairs?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I have read the report and it makes the most deplorable reading, as my noble friend has said. I will consider the suggestion that he makes about consultation with the other Governments.
§ THE EARL OF IDDESLEIGHMy Lords, would Her Majesty's Government consider, as an admittedly very remote ideal, the establishment of a convention under which the International Red Cross had some right to inspect political prisoners of all nations?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I shall have to refresh my memory, but the Red Cross does sometimes fulfil functions of this kind. I should like to consider this question, too.