Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the member countries of the Council of Europe which are failing to comply with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of such failure to comply. [139514]
§ Mr. VazThere are no instances where member states' governments have refused to accept the judgment of the Court, although there have been significant delays in the implementation of judgments. Such delays may result from the need to amend domestic law or be attributed to difficulties in a wider political context. However, the Government expect all member states to comply fully with the Court's judgments, and we regularly make our position clear to those concerned. The Government play their part in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in carrying out the task of supervising the implementation of judgments and taking the necessary measures to ensure that they are implemented, and supports the principle that all cases should remain open until the committee is fully satisfied that they have been properly addressed.