HC Deb 02 December 1992 vol 215 c212W
Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries which have signed the Council of Europe convention for minority or regional languages, together with those eligible which have not signed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Garel-Jones

The following countries have signed the Council of Europe convention on regional or minority languages: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain.

The following countries are eligible but have not signed: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

We are still considering whether to sign the European charter on regional or minority languages.