§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the reform of the control mechanism of the European convention on human rights proposed in recommendation 1194 of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.
387W
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAll member states of the Council of Europe agree that reform of the control mechanism of the European convention on human rights is urgently needed. The Ministers' deputies meeting on 28 May agreed by consensus the mandate for a draft protocol amending the control machinery of the European convention on human rights. The Council of Europe steering committee for human rights will now draft the amending protocol. The United Kingdom will participate fully in the drafting process.
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the draft protocol on the rights of minorities to the European Convention on human rights, proposed by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe Council of Europe committee of experts for the protection of minorities has been mandated to study the possibility of formulating European legal standards for the protection of minorities, including the feasibility of a protocol to the European convention on human rights or a free-standing Convention. The parliamentary assembly's recommendation 1201 of 1993 is a useful contribution to the debate and is one of several documents being considered by the committee. The expert committee is to present its findings to the Council of Europe Heads of State summit in October. We await the opinion of the expert committee.