§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list policy and legislative changes which have been introduced by successive British Governments to comply with the international covenant on civil and political rights since it came into force on 23 March 1976; whether the Government intend to allow citizens of the United Kingdom to petition the United Nations Human Rights Committee by ratifying the optional protocol to the international covenant on civil and political rights; and what are the reasons for his decision.
§ Mr. Charles WardleI have been asked to reply.
Comprehensive accounts of the action taken by successive Governments to comply with the international covenant on civil and political rights (ICCPR) are provided in the periodic reports which are submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee every five years, copies of which are in the Library.
The United Kingdom has accepted the right of individual petition under the European convention on human rights since 1966. The Government do not believe that becoming a party to the optional protocol to the ICCPR would enhance the protection of human rights in the United Kingdom.