Children's Rights

HC Deb 25 March 2002 vol 382 c605W

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the United Kingdom will ratify the European Convention on the exercise of children's rights. [43939]

Ms Rosie Winterton

I have been asked to reply.

Of the 43 member states of the Council of Europe only Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia have ratified the Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights. A new Council of Europe Convention on Contact with Children is expected to be adopted shortly. Both of these conventions include provisions for children who may wish to be heard or represented as a party to the proceedings so the Government intend to look at both of them together.