§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining information available to Her Majesty's Government on the human rights record of each member country of the Commonwealth, stating specifically in each case the extent to which that country practises racial, religious, political or colour discrimination.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo country currently a member of the Commonwealth has a constitution which discriminates on the grounds of race, religion or colour. Where Commonwealth countries' practice on human rights gives cause for concern, we make representations as necessary. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State told the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 23 January 1986, such representations are sometimes more productive if undertaken without publicity, and it would therefore not be helpful to disclose full details.