Government took steps to ensure that Cuban artists visiting Bermuda were not about to defect while here by interviewing them first on videotape, Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler said yesterday.

And he declined to say who provided security for the group during their visit.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party had demanded specifics after Mr. Butler said that there had been rumours of a plot to kidnap the Cubans or that attempts would be made to persuade the Cubans to defect.

Mr. Butler said the visit went without incident, and the Cubans had been provided with "first class security" free of charge.

But his comments about a rumoured kidnap plot sparked an angry response from the UBP's Louise Jackson who labelled the remarks "preposterous and unsubstantiated" and demanded to know what proof Mr. Butler had of a kidnap plot and who paid for the security.

Mrs. Jackson who has waged a relentless campaign against the Island's cultural links with Cuba has also claimed that one of the Cubans defected on the way back home via Toronto, Canada.

"One of the things we did to protect ourselves was to videotape the students in their environment and get them to talk about their life there, their expectations of Bermuda and what they thought of the country and at no time did they express any fear of political persecution which they would have to prove should they wish to defect," Mr. Butler said yesterday, adding "ten came and ten left."

He added: "We only intended to do one activity and there is still a possibility of doing one there. One or more Bermuda dance teachers may be going down tentatively for November."

He said he had no evidence of plots to kidnap the Cubans or persuade them to defect "other than telephone calls, people stopping me in the street and anonymous letters".

One letter warned him that Mrs. Jackson was going to be "as disruptive as possible and even try to kidnap the Cubans and offer them free dance lessons."

Mr. Butler would not reveal the costs for the Cubans' security arrangements.

"It was done privately and will remain so," he said. "It was 100 per donated time and did not cost the taxpayers a single penny."

And he said there would be no additional activities until after March 31 next year.

"The whole thrust so far would indicate that 90 percent of the work starts here first. We have to get our local issues resolve first."

Spokespersons for the Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board in Toronto and its Citizenship and Immigration Department would not confirm or deny whether any Cubans defected or attempted to defect in Toronto on the way back home from Bermuda.