§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to(a) member states of the Council of Europe and (b) other states which are signatories to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities encouraging them to ratify and enforce that Framework Convention. [32959]
§ Mr. Tony LloydWe have made clear our strong support for the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities during the negotiations on the Convention in Strasbourg. We will continue to support the widest possible ratification of the Framework Convention. We supported the decision in the Council of Europe Summit Action Plan in October 1997 to complement the Convention with practical initiatives, and will encourage States, through the Convention's monitoring machinery, to abide by the commitments it entails.