§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any action was taken by Her Majesty's Government in regard to the report of the working group of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights dealing with enforced and involuntary disappearances dated 31 December 1981, with 179W particular reference to the large numbers of persons who had disappeared since 1974, many of whom were United Kingdom subjects.
§ Mr. RifkindWe played a leading part in securing the renewal of the working group's mandate as the best means of following up its report. We are aware of only a few cases of United Kingdom subjects who have disappeared since 1974. In most such cases we pursue the matter bilaterally with the Government concerned.
§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions representations were made by the British embassy in Buenos Aires concerning cases of United Kingdom citizens who were seized by Argentine security forces after 1974 and who have since disappeared.
§ Mr. OnslowIt is not possible to provide a precise figure. Nevertheless, I can say that representations, written and oral, were made to the authorities in Buenos Aires on at least 80 separate occasions with regard to the cases of the two United Kingdom citizens who are known to have disappeared in Argentina.