The following is the continuation of the debate from the House of Assembly on Friday's Motion to Adjourn: said there were all manner of false rumours spread about the Cubans including that one of the band would get pregnant ? despite all the musicians being male.

"There were rumours that Mrs. Jackson was going to encourage defections and give them dance lessons for free," he said.

The Cuban band came to Bermuda and played to rave reviews, and saw democracy in action.

It was ironic that China was a major trading partner of the US, but the Bermuda government of the day did not protest 15 years ago when the Communist regime crushed protests at Tiananmen Square.

Mr. Blakeney said he went to Cuba in 1995 when Wendell (Shine) Hayward represented Bermuda in a Caribbean Song Festival and ? outside of Bermuda ? he had never encountered such warm hospitality.As a businessman, he twice brought female Cuban bands to Island without controversy.

Cuba had a "second to none education system and there is nothing strange about finding 21-year-old surgeons".

"I don't understand the obsession on the other side whenever Cuba comes up. They have a rich culture and with limited resources they have got outside their borders to see the world.

"Yes we know what atrocities may be going on from time to time relative to human rights abuses, but that is happening everywhere in the world as we speak, but that does not negate a country becoming self-sufficient despite everyone in the free world encouraging people to look down on that country of 12 million people. It is absolutely despicable." said he sensed Mrs. Jackson was "absolutely on target" in her allegations.

Mr. Butler said the country was "very concerned about the direction Mrs. Jackson was taking, but we are not hearing that on this side of the House".

He said Mrs. Jackson was sitting next to Aaron Daniels and his mother at a concert when they talked about the boy's alleged concerns.

"Mrs. Jackson was quite concerned about whether other young people might get in a situation in the future at an inappropriate school," said Dr. Gibbons.

But Government MP's quoted Mrs. Daniels' comments in that her son's only regret was that he didn't take Spanish before going to Cuba.

And Mr. Butler said Government would not be sending any students to any schools in Cuba unless they were properly vetted. The situation with Mr. Daniels arose because he was already in Cuba before the accord was signed.

Dr. Gibbons responded: "No one wants to drag a young man through the mud but we have concerns about what might happen to other young members of the community who might find there way to Cuba."

He said the PLP was full of "apologists" for Castro's totalitarian regime.

There was a "clear difference" between Cuba and China, he said. "The Government of Bermuda has not signed now nor has it ever signed any agreement with China."

The UBP and PLP disagreed profoundly about the affect Bermuda's contacts with Cuba would have on relationships with the US.

"We have so much to lose and so little to gain from this," said Dr. Gibbons. "Why are we jeopardising something that is so important to us as our relationship with the US over an issue that gives us so little. It is absolutely short-sighted."