Asked by
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to expand
and improve bilateral relations with Caribbean countries.
The Minister of State, Department for the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
( of Richmond Park) (Con)
My Lords, the UK and the nations of the Caribbean have strong and
enduring relationships based on mutual respect, trust and shared
values. Through increased ministerial engagement and the UK’s
diplomatic network in the Caribbean, the Government continue to
develop modern partnerships across the region that deliver on our
priorities, including the rules-based international system,
climate change, advocacy for small island developing states,
development, trade and security.
(Con)
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Does he
agree with me that realm status in the Caribbean, and indeed
elsewhere, confers considerable mutual benefits? Although
decisions about the monarchy’s future in these realms are for the
people of those countries—after a referendum, we hope—surely the
FCDO should not be neutral in this but keep stressing the
substantial benefits of the status quo. Does the Minister also
agree that, in the recent tours they carried out, the Cambridges
and the Wessexes showed good judgment and good humour and did
both their country and their monarchy proud?
of Richmond Park (Con)
I thank my noble friend for his comments; I absolutely agree. As
he said, decisions about the future relationship between
Caribbean countries and the United Kingdom are ultimately for the
people themselves. That is the bedrock of our arrangement through
the Commonwealth and the associations that he talked about. The
approach we take is a model for other powers around the world
when it comes to states and Governments with which they are
associated.
(LD)
My Lords, the UK’s trading relationship with the Caribbean is
under a rollover European Union agreement—an EPA. The European
Union has subsequently updated its Cotonou agreement so there is
now a new deep and comprehensive relationship with the 15
CARIFORUM nations. Looking forward, does the Minister agree that
we should move at pace for a deep and comprehensive free trade
agreement with all 15 CARIFORUM nations that goes beyond simply
tariffs, trades and history and looks forward to a new trading
relationship that includes sustainability and closer people
relationships?
of Richmond Park (Con)
The noble Lord is absolutely right: the Caribbean is a region of
huge importance and potential to the UK. We have asked , our Caribbean trade
envoy, to focus specifically on building the pipeline of UK
capability. We are keen to better engage the diaspora on trade
and investment opportunities in the region. We look forward to
the continued implementation of the CARIFORUM-UK EPA trade
agreement, which covers the largest number of countries—14, plus
Haiti as an observer. In fact, it is the largest agreement we
have apart from the trade and co-operation agreement with the EU.
It is our most comprehensive trade agreement with developing
countries and covers areas ranging from goods and services to
public procurement and sustainability.
(Con)
My Lords, is my noble friend aware of the considerable—and
increasing—Chinese involvement and engagement in the Caribbean
states? It is happening not only in the Caribbean but in the
South Seas as well. Is he aware that this is about not just trade
agreements, double taxation agreements and loans, which often
cannot be paid back, but weapons training and officer training?
We have now reached a point where the Chinese are seeking to
establish in another Commonwealth realm a full naval maintenance
base, including a police and military presence. This has gone
very far indeed. Will my noble friend remind his colleagues in
the Foreign Office that, while we are neglecting many parts of
the Commonwealth, other countries—notably China—are realising the
strategic value of these states and moving in fast? We need to
have a better understanding of the vital security nature of the
Commonwealth and give it proper attention.
of Richmond Park (Con)
My noble friend makes an extremely important point in relation to
the Caribbean which could just as easily be made in relation to
small island developing states in the Pacific, for example. The
2021 integrated review noted very clearly that China’s increasing
power and international assertiveness is likely to be the most
significant geopolitical factor in the 2020s. China now has one
of the largest diplomatic presences in the Caribbean after the
UK, US and Brazil. China continues to expand its engagement in
the region as part of its broader strategy to secure support for
its belt and road initiative and to reduce support for
recognition of Taiwan. Unfortunately, the Caribbean’s
infrastructure needs, which are significant, provide an
opportunity for China to increase its influence, and much of that
comes through Beijing’s loan strategy, which my noble friend just
alluded to. All this makes it even more important that the UK
steps up its support for, and partnership and engagement with,
countries across the Caribbean and, for the same reason, the
Pacific region.
(Lab)
My Lords, can I touch on the issue of influence and values that
the Minister mentioned? Human Rights Watch has reported that
seven countries in the eastern Caribbean still maintain anti-LGBT
laws, a relic of British colonialism, as once said at a previous CHOGM.
Can the Minister tell us, ahead of CHOGM 2022 in Rwanda, what
steps the Government are taking to encourage them and others to
end this appalling discrimination?
of Richmond Park (Con)
The noble Lord makes a hugely important point. I cannot say is it
true of all the engagements that we have on a bilateral basis
with members of the Commonwealth, particularly those countries
that take the regressive views that he has outlined in relation
to LGBT issues, but certainly in most of those exchanges this
issue is raised and the UK has always stood up internationally,
as we do domestically, for the rights of LGBT communities.
(Con)
My Lords, in welcoming the Government’s plans, which my noble
friend has outlined, may I ask him to clarify whether these
extend only or mainly to the English-speaking Caribbean, or to
other countries such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic or Haiti?
of Richmond Park (Con)
Obviously, the UK has a particularly strong and valued
relationship with those English-speaking countries with which we
share a very close history, but our involvement and interest in
the region goes beyond them. For example, the Prime Minister had
meetings yesterday with a number of leaders of Caribbean
countries, not all of them English-speaking. We have many issues
in common, not least the question of China but also climate
change, which is regarded by most Caribbean countries as
literally existential.
(Lab)
My Lords, small island states of the Caribbean do not qualify for
ODA, yet they have real needs. Might not the Government’s policy
carry more conviction if it addressed more realistically the
understandable demands of the Caribbean for reparations for
slavery?
of Richmond Park (Con)
The noble Lord makes an important point about ODA. In the current
system, the unique vulnerability of small island developing
states to issues such as climate change and shocks such as Covid
is not recognised. It was made very clear over the last couple of
years that they are uniquely vulnerable, and consequently their
economic ranking can change very quickly. That is not reflected
in the system of recognition, which means that you have countries
which, for all intents and purposes, should be ODA-eligible but
are not according to the current rules. This is an issue which we
are raising robustly in the OECD. I hope that we can see some
changes there. Additionally, the UK is working with Fiji and
other countries on a global taskforce on access to finance. One
of the problems is that it is incredibly complicated accessing
finance from the multilateral institutions. They are
bureaucratic, time-consuming and so on. We are working very hard
on that too, and that is recognised by the small island
developing states in question.
(LD)
My Lords, rightly, the Minister has just mentioned the
significance of climate change in the Caribbean. The hurricanes
in the region are much more extreme and frequent than they used
to be, but can be tracked across the Atlantic. The United Kingdom
was behind the curve when it came to Hurricane Irma, for example,
not holding a COBRA meeting until several days after it had hit.
Can the Minister reassure us that the Government are far better
prepared to help the overseas territories if and when they are
hit by similar hurricanes?
of Richmond Park (Con)
I can. The United Kingdom, not least through its presidency of
COP, has raised the issue of adaptation to climate change. We
know that, whatever we do in mitigation, change is inevitable
whether we like it or not. Enabling vulnerable countries to adapt
as well as they can and to deal with natural disasters, which are
happening with increasing intensity, is a top priority. Although
we have not set a forensic target, our view is that the balance
of investment in climate change issues should be more or less
50:50 between mitigation and adaptation. Other donor countries
are increasingly following us on that.
(Con)
My Lords, further to that question, I declare my interest as
honorary colonel of the Cayman Islands Regiment. Both the Cayman
Islands Regiment and the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment were
created by this Government after Hurricane Irma in 2017 to ensure
that there is on-island capability to deal with post-hurricane
events. I am sure the noble Baroness is deeply reassured by the
Government’s action, which directly addresses her question. I
remind your Lordships’ House that there are not only Commonwealth
citizens in the Caribbean but British citizens in the overseas
territories. I simply ask for reassurance from my noble friend
that those citizens are properly consulted when legislation is
passed through your Lordships’ House.
of Richmond Park (Con)
I am sure many noble Lords are envious of the noble Lord’s job
and would be willing to swap, but he makes a good point. I can
certainly provide that reassurance.
