§ Lord Windleshamasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in their view Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, to which no derogations or reservations are permitted, limits the sovereignty of Parliament in determining the nature of the penalties prescribed for the most serious criminal offences.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)My Lords, as the issue of capital punishment is left to a free vote in Parliament, the Government consider it would be inappropriate to enter into an international agreement which could pre-empt any such vote; hence it does not intend to ratify Protocol No. 6.