Search Results

1-20 of 26 results for tabledby:"Lord Patten"

Show detailed: On Off

Results: 10 20 50 100

Sort by: Newest first Oldest first

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the state of political and press freedoms in Cuba.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

23 April 2012

We recognise and welcome the positive steps made by the Cuban government over the past year in the area of political and economic freedoms. These include the release of all the remaining prisoners of conscience arrested during the 'Black Spring' in 2003; the ongoing economic reform process, which is leading to greater economic freedoms, and increasing religious tolerance, most clearly demonstrated by the Pope's recent visit. We also welcome Cuba's continuing strong record on child rights, gender equality and social rights such as universal healthcare and education. President Raul Castro has signalled the introduction of future limits on political terms, and a separation of the Communist Party from the state. He has also called for greater democracy in the Communist Party. Although genuine political reform remains a long way off, these would be welcome developments and positive signals of greater political opening. However, we are concerned about continuing restrictions of Cubans' civil and political rights, in particular the lack of freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of information, and judicial independence. There is no legal right to strike and independent trade unions are not permitted. Public demonstrations are banned, and short-term detentions are used to prevent demonstrations and intimidate activists from expressing anti-government views. There is no separation of powers and independent lawyers are not permitted to practice. Cuba's record on media freedom is poor and it was ranked 166 out of 178 in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index in 2011. Although internet censorship has eased slightly, there are few internet access points and using them is prohibitively expensive for the average Cuban. We continue to underline to the Cuban government our support for the positive process of economic reform alongside our ongoing concerns over the lack of meaningful civil and political rights.

Date

23 April 2012

Reference

16803; 736 c313-4WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 30 November 2010 (WA 430), when they last made direct bilateral representations to the Government of Cuba concerning the release of the remaining political prisoners.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 January 2011

Reference

5668; 724 c73WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 10 November (WA 77), whether the Government of Cuba have released the remaining 13 political prisoners by their self-imposed deadline of November; and, if not, what further representations they will make.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

30 November 2010

Reference

4241; 722 c430WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 September (WA 525), when they expect that the remaining political prisoners detained in Cuba since 2003 will be released; and whether they intend to make further representations to Cuba on the matter.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 November 2010

Reference

3233; 722 c77WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Political Prisoners

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to the government of Cuba regarding the welfare of thejournalists Albert Santiago du Bouchet Hernández, sentenced to 3 years in prison on charges of disrespect for authority, Raymundo Perdigón Brito, sentenced to four years in prison...

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Notes

Answer received between Tuesday 14 September and Monday 20 September 2010.

Date

27 September 2010

Reference

2029; 720 c524-5WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisons

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances surrounding the death on 23 February of Mr Orlando Zapata, a political prisoner in Cuba; and whether they have raised, or intend to raise, his death with the Government of Cuba.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 March 2010

Reference

2419; 718 c239WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisons

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last made representations to the Government of Cuba about conditions in Cuban prisons (a) directly, and (b) via European Union representatives.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

22 March 2010

Human rights remain central to UK and EU policy on Cuba and are a key element of the EU-Cuba political dialogue. We are particularly concerned about the high levels of political prisoners (including those in poor health) and prison conditions in Cuba. We routinely raise this issue together with a range of human rights concerns in bilateral and EU discussions with Cuba. I myself recently raised human rights in general, and specifically called for the release of all political prisoners in a letter to the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla. Our embassy in Havana also recently raised these issues formally with the Cuban Government on 12 December 2009, and regularly raises them in the margins of other meetings. Further, at Cuba's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in February 2009 we raised specific concerns about political prisoners and the lack of independent access to Cuban prisons. We recommended that Cuba establish a recurrent system of review of its prisons by UN or other relevant international observers. At every session of the EU-Cuba political dialogue (in October 2008, May 2009 and November 2009) the EU has called for the release of all political prisoners, and encouraged Cuba to allow international humanitarian organisations to visit Cuban prisons. The EU has also handed over a list of prisoners in poor health who remain a particular concern. Most recently on 25 February 2010 (following the death of a Cuban hunger striker) a spokesperson for the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs issued a statement which highlighted the Cuban Government's responsibility to protect all prisoners under their jurisdiction. We will continue to raise these issues with the Cuban Government, both bilaterally and through the EU, and encourage them to arrange dates for a proposed visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, who has said he want so visit all categories of detention facilities and types of detainee in Cuba.

Date

22 March 2010

Reference

2525; 718 c239-40WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisons

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any information that suggests that (a) torture, or (b) inhuman and degrading treatment, is practised in Cuban prisons.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

9 March 2010

Reference

2485; 718 c40-1WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or intend to make, to the Government of Cuba about the use of provisions in Cuban criminal law that permit the indefinite detention of individuals for dangerousness.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

2 December 2009

We are greatly concerned about the high numbers of political prisoners in Cuba and the conditions in which they are held. We are also troubled by the existence and use of pre-criminal social dangerousness charges to target behaviour that contradicts Cuba's socialist norms. These pre-emptive charges, often used against political dissidents and critics, allow the authorities to imprison individuals before they have committed any crime, on the suspicion that they are likely to commit an offence in the future. This has included prostitutes, unemployed people and alcoholics. It is difficult to get accurate figures on the number of political prisoners in Cuba, as the Government of Cuba tightly control information about their prisons. Furthermore, there is inconsistency in reporting cases and many go unreported. We therefore have to rely on a range of sources to get estimates. A report published in August by the unofficial Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation documented 208 cases of political prisoners. Fifty-three of the 75 political prisoners arrested during the 2003 clampdown remain detained. Amnesty International recognises 57 prisoners of conscience in Cuba. Based on a fact-finding mission to Cuba this year, Human Rights Watch documented more than 40 cases in which the Government have imprisoned individuals under the dangerousness provision. In April 2009 our embassy in Havana wrote to the Ministry of Justice in Cuba, asking how many people had been charged with social dangerousness in the past five years. We are still waiting for a response. The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation believe that there may be between 3,000 and 5,000 prisoners in Cuba convicted of pre-criminal dangerousness. We continue to raise our concerns about political prisoners regularly with the Cuban authorities in London and Havana. Human rights also form an important part of the EU's political dialogue with Cuba, including monitoring a list of political prisoners in poor health. Although we have not specifically pressed for Red Cross access to Cuban prisons, during Cuba's universal periodic review at the UN Human Rights Council in February, the UK recommended that Cuba allow independent international observers including UN special rapporteurs to review the prisons. In addition to highlighting concerns about political prisoners, the UK also recommended that Cuba refrain from using such laws as those against dangerousness, enemy propaganda and contempt for authority to restrict the rights of freedom of expression and association.

Date

2 December 2009

Reference

152; 715 c42-3WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of political prisoners in Cuba.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

2 December 2009

Date

2 December 2009

Reference

155; 715 c42-3WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of political prisoners detained in Cuba under provisions in Cuban law that prohibit conduct in manifest contradiction to the norms of socialist morality.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

2 December 2009

Date

2 December 2009

Reference

153; 715 c42-3WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made since 1997, or intend to make, to the Government of Cuba to allow the Red Cross access to its prisons.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

2 December 2009

Date

2 December 2009

Reference

154; 715 c42-3WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 21 January (WA 204), whether they are pressing the European Union to schedule the next round of political dialogue with Cuba at an early date; and whether the conditions and welfare of political prisoners of all...

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

24 February 2009

Reference

708 c39WA; 1245

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 24 November (WA 234), when the next meeting of the political dialogue between the European Union and Cuba will take place; and whether at that meeting British representatives will raise the treatment of political prisoners in...

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 January 2009

Reference

106; 706 c204WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 17 June (HL3750), whether, in the light of evidence of the treatment and poor health care of political prisoners in Cuba, they will now make formal representations to the Government of Cuba on the United Nations Standard Minimum...

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

24 November 2008

Reference

705 c233-4WA; 4300

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made representations to the Government of Cuba concerning the health and treatment in prison of Dr José Luís García Paneque, the former head of the independent news agency Libertad, presently serving a 24-year sentence.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 June 2008

Reference

3751; 702 c126WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made representations to the Government of Cuba encouraging them to abide by the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners; and, if so, what was the result.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 June 2008

Reference

3750; 702 c126WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Torture

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 2 June (HL3559), what is their definition of torture; and why they do not class beating or fear of beating in Cuban prisons as torture in that Answer.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 June 2008

Reference

3896; 702 c127WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 2 June (HL3640), whether they have any plans for Meg Munn MP or other Ministers to visit Cuba within the next 12 months.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

12 June 2008

Reference

3897; 702 c111WA

House

House of Lords

Cuba: Prisoners

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 2 June (HL3687), whether any British citizens are currently being detained in Cuban prisons; and, if so, what are their names and the sentences that they are serving.

Asked by

Lord Patten (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

12 June 2008

Reference

3898; 702 c112WA

House

House of Lords

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher