§ Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the nations that have signed the European convention on reciprocal compensation for victims of violent crime, and give details of the representations that have been made to those European nations which have not yet signed the convention.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Council of Europe convention on the compensation of victims of violent crimes, which lays down minimum standards for national arrangements for payment of compensation, was signed by the United Kingdom when it was opened for signature on 24 November 1983. The other signatory states are Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.
The convention came into force on 1 February 1988. On 7 February 1990, we joined Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden as contracting states. The convention will come into force in relation to the United Kingdom on 1 June 1990, and we shall take every opportunity to encourage other countries to adopt it.
There have been various calls in both the Council of Europe and the European Community for states to sign and ratify this convention.