Caribbean Countries (Hansard, 17 February 1994)

§ Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what study he has made of the effect on the Caribbean economies of a collapse in their banana exports and the possibility of the illegal drugs trade filling the vacuum.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Some countries, particularly in the eastern Caribbean, are heavily dependent for foreign earnings upon their banana exports. A sudden decrease in exports would be damaging to those countries. This is one of the factors we have always borne in mind in determining our policy towards the Caribbean and towards trade in bananas.
There are problems in parts of the Caribbean related to trade in illegal drugs and we have given what assistance we can to eradicate these. We will continue to do so in the future.
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§ Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what advice his officials have given Caribbean Commonwealth Governments on the introduction of election expense laws and the threat to their democracies from illegal drug money;
(2) what steps he has taken following the correspondence from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight on the lack of rules about election expenses in the constitutional or electoral laws of Commonwealth states in the Caribbean.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
No advice has been given to Caribbean Commonwealth Governments on the introduction of election expense laws since none has been sought. At least one of the countries concerned, Barbados, already has such legislation in place.
The laundering of illegal drugs profits represents a serious threat to the financial and economic stability of the Caribbean. We attach much importance to removing the profits from drug trafficking, and continue to urge dependent territories and independent Caribbean countries to pass legislation to trace, freeze and confiscate these profits.

§ Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica; and if he discussed her views on the drug trade in the Caribbean and the collapse of the banana exports.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met Dame Eugenia Charles in September 1992. More recently she paid calls on myself and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development during a short visit to London from 4 to 10 February. On both occasions we discussed at length various issues relevant to Dominica's banana industry.

§ Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conclusions he has drawn from the lack of a limit on election expenses in the laws of the Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean and the effect of drugs dealing money on their parliamentary elections.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Each of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries is independent and it is therefore for each of them to determine its own laws, including those relating to election expenses.
Although the drugs trade represents a serious threat to the economic and political stability of the Caribbean, we have no substantive evidence that drugs money is being used in parliamentary elections. We continue to give assistance to deal with the illegal drugs trade and to promote sound principles of good and democratic government in the region.