HL Deb 02 February 1994 vol 551 cc1259-60

Lord Archer of Sandwell asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish the text of their First Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)

My Lords, yes.

Lord Archer of Sandwell

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that brief assurance. However, has not the committee expressed the hope that reports will be produced in such a way as to facilitate and encompass popular participation? Will she confirm that consultations took the form of sending copies of the draft report to some 20 organisations out of several hundred concerned in this field, and that they were sent on 15th December with a requirement that they should reply by the 31st December? So not only were they given a fortnight in which to read the draft report and discuss it with their members, but they were expected to do so over Christmas. Will the Government now take seriously their obligations under the convention and establish real dialogue?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, it is not normal practice to consult on these conventions and the response to them, but in this case we did, as the noble and learned Lord has said. In addition to the organisations that we consulted, my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for community care and children's services met organisations on 22nd November to explain that the consultation period would be short, and how we were going about it.

Lord Bridges

My Lords, as one concerned closely with the United Nations Children's Fund, perhaps I may thank the Government for complying with their obligation under Article 44 of the convention, for communicating to the committee the results of our work and for publishing it. Will the Minister confirm that the Government give their wholehearted support to the convention as the best means of helping the poorest children in the poorest parts of the world, and that they will continue to support that activity?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, yes. That neatly sums up the Government's position. We give this our wholehearted support. When it came to ratifying the convention, it was not a rubber stamp; the Government thought seriously about it. Indeed, we take the whole matter seriously.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

My Lords, will the Minister explain why there is no mention in the report to the United Nations of the worrying increase in many aspects of child poverty in this country, which seems to suggest that we are in breach of Article 27 of the convention which we signed? The convention states that: Every child has the right to a standard of living adequate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and sociiil development". Are the Government Confident that we in this country are fulfilling that requirement?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, as the noble Baroness will be aware, the Government signed up to the convention, but they had some reservations about some parts of it. This was not one of those parts.

Back to