HL Deb 07 May 1999 vol 600 c118WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What recommendations have been made by the Human Rights Committee, the Committee Against Torture, and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination about possible acceptance by the United Kingdom of the jurisdiction of those bodies to receive complaints from individuals of breaches by the United Kingdom of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; and when such recommendations were made. [HL2174]

Lord Burlison:

The Human Rights Committee recommended that the United Kingdom should reconsider its position on the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights following hearings on the United Kingdom's Third and Fourth Periodic Reports in April 1991 and July 1995 respectively.

The Committee Against Torture recommended that the United Kingdom should make a declaration under Article 22 of the Convention Against Torture following the hearing on the United Kingdom's Second Periodic Report in November 1995.

The Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended in August 1993 that the United Kingdom should make a declaration under Article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination following the hearing on the United Kingdom's Twelfth Periodic Report. No specific recommendations of this kind have been made by this committee following the hearings on the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Periodic Reports, although some members of the committee did suggest that the United Kingdom should reconsider its position.