HL Deb 02 February 1982 vol 426 cc1200-1

2.47 p.m.

Lord Thomas of Swynnerton

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will use their good offices with the Government of Cuba to secure the release of Señor Armando Valladares, a poet, who has been in prison for alleged political offences in Cuba since December 1960.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have repeatedly expressed their concern about the situation of political prisoners and human rights questions generally in Cuba. The Cuban Government are aware of the strength of feeling in this country about the imprisonment of Senor Valladares. However, Her Majesty's Government have no locus standi to make a démarche to the Cuban Government about the imprisonment in Cuba of one of their nationals.

Lord Thomas of Swynnerton

My Lords, while I thank my noble friend for his reply, may I know whether he had the opportunity of seeing the speech, delivered at the conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union last year in Havana, by the Prime Minister of Cuba, in which he condemned British policy towards Ireland and in which he said: The stubbornness, intransigence, cruelty and insensitivity of the British Government"— towards the Irish— remind us of Torquemada and the atrocities committed by the Inquisition". Would he not consider that to be a good description of the Cuban Government's treatment of its political opponents?

Lord Trefgarne

Yes, my Lords, I would.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that this case has been taken up many times by Amnesty International and that they are satisfied that there is no evidence that he ever engaged in violence or counter-revolutionery activities and that he is being persecuted because he is a poet and a writer not wholly in sympathy with the views of the Cuban Government? Would it be possible for the Government, through the United Nations (because Cuba is a member of that body and subject to the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights) to use that medium as a means of trying to do something for this poor man?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, as the Question reminds us, this unfortunate man has been in prison for more than 20 years. I understand, although it is a long time ago, that he was in fact convicted of some alleged offence at the time. As for proceeding as the noble and learned Lord suggests, this might be a matter which should be raised at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which resumes this very week.

Lord Thomas of Swynnerton

My Lords, my noble friend may have it wrong. I am not sure that Senor Valladares has been convicted of any—

Several noble Lords: Question!

Lord Thomas of Swynnerton

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that there does not seem much evidence that he was convicted of anything except writing poetry rather contrary to the spirit of the r£gime?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, my noble friend may be right about that. It was more than 20 years ago and I confess that when I inquired about this earlier today it was not possible for me to be precisely informed.