B

Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 29 October 2025

Debate

Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa

Contribution

That is a really important point. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Kamina Johnson Smith, the Foreign Minister in Jamaica, on Monday before Melissa hit, to have exactly that conversation. I know, because I have spoken with Ms Johnson Smith myself in Jamaica, the extent to which the Government there are understanding of what they need to do, and the preparation made within the region is dramatically different now because so much more is known. Our capability in predicting these events is enhanced, and the capability within the region is really quite impressive. That does not mean that they can handle this on their own—of course not. We have a responsibility, which we take incredibly seriously, not least because, as the noble Lord says, there are such strong community links and people-to-people links, particularly with Jamaica. We will continue to work alongside the Government there to make sure that they get what they need to get through this initial period. It is fast moving—we are assessing the damage and will do what we need to do now. This is something on which we are likely to have to stay close to the Government of Jamaica working on for some time.

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