§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's policy concerning any steps taken in the past six months by the Soviet Union towards the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act.
§ Mr. RifkindIt is our policy to report to the House at six-monthly intervals on the implementation by the Soviet Union and other countries in eastern Europe of the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act. I last did so in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Upminster (Sir N. Bonsor) on 17 July at column 91. A further report will be submitted to the House early next year. Meanwhile, I regret to say that there have been no signs of improvement in the compliance by the Soviet Union with the provisions of the Final Act, especially in the human rights area.