§ Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he can yet say whether it is the intention of the Government to renew their acceptance of the European Convention on Human Rights and the right of individual petition and to ratify the two United Nations Human Rights Covenants.
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§ Mr. AmeryAs my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State informed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Lewes (Sir T. Beamish) on 10th December, Her Majesty's Government intend to renew their acceptance of the right of individual petition under Article 25 of the European Convention on Human Rights for a further period of two years from 14th January 1974. Our adherence to the convention itself is not subject to any limitation in time. We are continuing to study the possibility of ratifying the United Nations Covenants on Human Rights, but I cannot yet give a date for ratification.—[Vol. 866, c. 28–9.]