§ 19. Mrs. MayIf parish councils are among those organisations whose acts and omissions it is intended should be able to be challenged under the Human Rights Bill. [30357]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAlthough it will be a matter for the courts, we think it likely that parish councils will be regarded as public authorities.
§ Mrs. MayI thank the Minister for that reply, although it gives some cause for concern in the following respect.
The Government have already had to undertake reviews of the application of the Human Rights Bill in two important areas—its implications for the press and for the Churches—and the Home Secretary has undertaken to consult in those two areas because the Government have discovered that the Bill's implications may not be what they originally thought that they would be. Therefore, will the Government now accept that, as I believe, there is a very real need to review the way in which the Human Rights Bill will affect other public authorities, such as parish councils, which form such an important part of our village community, and will the Minister undertake to consult and review the implications for those important parts of our village communities?
§ Mr. O'BrienThe Bill does not change the substance of convention rights; it only changes access to them in our courts. Broadly, we wish to ensure that all bodies for whose actions the United Kingdom Government are answerable are treated as public authorities under the Bill. The Government are committed to bringing people's rights home from Strasbourg, whereas most Tories appear to want to keep power under the European convention on human rights across the channel, in Strasbourg. The question needs to be asked: why do the Conservatives seek to deny people access to their rights, and why are they so determined to keep power in Strasbourg?
§ Fiona MactaggartDoes my hon. Friend agree that giving everyone in the United Kingdom access to local jurisdiction over human rights helps to bring people together? Does he share my view that it is perturbing to hear people pressing for sectional interests to get a pass out of the Human Rights Bill—which of course they will not get, because we have an international treaty obligation in that regard? We should encourage people in the Churches, the media and local authorities of all kinds, including parish councils, to recognise that they have a responsibility to respect the human rights of others.
§ Mr. O'BrienI agree with my hon. Friend. The Bill will ensure that there is greater respect for human rights in this country, and will raise Britain's status in the world as a country that respects human rights.
§ Mr. GibbGiven the limited budgets of parish councils and the limited scope for parish councils to engage in 705 abusing human rights—certainly in my constituency—is there not a case for specifically excluding parish councils from that ludicrous legislation?
§ Mr. O'BrienThe hon. Gentleman does not seem to understand that the convention currently applies to public authorities anyway. We are not changing the substance of that. We are ensuring that people have greater access to their rights. For the life of me I do not understand why Opposition Members are so opposed to allowing British citizens access in their own courts to their own rights.