§ Mr. Stanleyasked the Attorney-General whether he will introduce legislation to seek to enable legal aid to be made available to parents resident in the United Kingdom who have to initiate legal proceedings in courts overseas for the recovery of children who have been snatched.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralLegal representation and the circumstances in which it is allowed can only be a matter for the country concerned. As explained by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department in the debate on the Adjournment on 23rd March 1978, the better course in these matters is to secure international agreement on the provision of legal aid under the rules of the country where the proceedings are brought, though I cannot promise early results. Meanwhile, this country has recently become a party to the European agreement on transmission to other countries of applications for legal aid, which should be of considerable help to applicants in that area.