§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept the recommendation by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations of 29 October on the Fifth Periodic Report submitted by the United Kingdom, to reconsider United Kingdom law depriving convicted prisoners of the right to vote. [HL1299]
29WA
§ The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)We have read the committee's draft recommendation and we have no plans to amend the law as it stands at present. The Divisional Court confirmed earlier this year that the disfranchisement of convicted prisoners is both legitimate and proportional in its aim and that there has therefore been no breach of human rights in maintaining the current practice.