§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Barking on 30 July, Official Report column 704, and in view of the decision of the European Convention on Human Rights that legislation relating to homosexuality in Northern Ireland interferes with the right to respect for private life guaranteed by article 8 of the convention, whether he will now urgently consider reforming the law in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsThe position remains as described in my reply to the hon. Member on 30 July. The proceedings in question under the European Convention on Human Rights are not yet completed. The conclusions recorded in the report by the European Commission of Human Rights do not constitute a judicial decision. The Commission has referred the case to the European Court of Human Rights, which will in due course make a final decision on whether the convention has been violated.