§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about United Kingdom participation in the European ministerial conference on human rights, organised by the Council of Europe in Vienna on 19 and 20 March.
§ Mr. RentonMy hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General and I represented the United Kingdom at this conference, the purpose of which was to evaluate and consolidate the work of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights. I signed (subject to ratification) the eighth protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, which introduces improvements in the procedures of the European Commission on Human Rights with a view to reducing delays. There was significant support for the view expressed by the Solicitor-General that a period of consolidation was required rather than radical reform of the machinery. The United Kingdom will play a full part in examining the possibility of further improvements to control machinery of the convention in the appropriate Council of Europe committees. The conference also considered the challenge to human rights posed by new developments in science particularly in biology, medicine and biochemistry. The United Kingdom contributed expert papers including the Warnock report on human fertilisation and embryology.