§ Lord McNairasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to ratify the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and, if not, what their reasons are for not doing so.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Lord Carrington)The Government do not intend to ratify this convention. The United Kingdom's migrants have traditionally come from outside Europe and tended to settle rather than come for short or seasonal stays. Consequently our policies, laws and practices in these matters differ from those of other European states. The convention does not take account of this country's special circumstances. The Government's position is well understood by other member states of the Council of Europe. Only two have ratified the convention.