Human Rights (Hansard, 10 June 1997)

§ 2. Mr. Hutton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Government's policy on human rights. [1159]

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Tony Lloyd)
We have made it clear that human rights will be a central element of this Government's foreign policy. As set out by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in the mission statement of 12 May, we shall work through international forums and bilateral relationships to spread the values of human rights, civil liberties and democracy that we demand for ourselves.

§ Mr. Hutton
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his appointment, and welcome the new emphasis that the Government are placing on promoting human rights around the world. I think that it will be strongly supported by the British people.
Does my hon. Friend agree that a significant step towards protecting human rights would be the establishment of a permanent international criminal court with extensive jurisdiction to try cases involving serious human rights abuses? What measures will the Government take in that regard?

§ Mr. Lloyd
I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. We appreciate the warm reception that the changed policy on human rights has received not just in this country, but throughout the world.
We support the proposal for an international criminal court, not only in principle but in practice. We intend to participate actively in the work of the preparatory 931 committee, and in the other meetings to negotiate a statute for the court. We strongly support the idea of holding a diplomatic conference in 1998 to establish that court. We intend to ensure that any doubts that have existed in the past about the British Government's commitment will be dispelled by this Government: we want an effective international criminal court.

Mr. John M. Taylor
Would the Minister be sympathetic to the incorporation of the European convention on human rights into domestic law?

§ Mr. Lloyd
Yes, we would be sympathetic to that.

§ Mrs. Clwyd
May I say how glad I am to see my hon. Friend and the rest of the foreign affairs team on the Front Bench, and how delighted we are that human rights has been put at the front of the Department's agenda?
Given the continuing evidence that arms exports to Indonesia are being used for internal repression, what consideration has my hon. Friend given to banning arms exports to Indonesia outright?

§ Mr. Lloyd
We have serious concerns about human rights in Indonesia. One of the first actions of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister of State was to ask for an investigation of the events in Bandung and Jakarta.
My hon. Friend will know that, on 22 May, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced that the Government would conduct a review of the mechanics and the detailed criteria used in the issuing of licences for exports of conventional arms. Perhaps my hon. Friend will forgive me if I say that it would be practically premature for us to give any specific country-by-country response at this stage.

§ Dr. Fox
I, too, welcome the Minister to his post. Does he agree with the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the last Government were right to export Hawk aircraft to Indonesia?

§ Mr. Lloyd
I can only repeat that, while we make it clear that the human rights dimension is an important part of the way in which we shall consider applications for export licences, the review announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not yet been completed, although it will be completed very rapidly. Until that time, it would be foolish for us to make any further comment.