§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
By what criteria the conditions in Her Majesty's prisons (including those managed by private contractors), conform to the minimum conditions prescribed by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
§ Baroness Blatch:The Government are committed to their various international obligations such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Minimum conditions in prisons are described most specifically in the European Prison Rules and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. Both sets of Rules are not legally binding but the Government adhere to them as fully as possible.
The European Prison Rules influenced the Prison Service's Operating Standards, which set out standards for the treatment of prisoners to be met or aspired to by 17WA all Prison Service establishments, including those managed by the private sector.