HL Deb 05 June 1995 vol 564 cc86-90WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether findings by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights were included in the calculation which led to the "league table" positions referred to by Baroness Blatch on 25 January (HL Deb., col. 1166) and 29 March (HL Deb., col. 1697); and if not, whether they will state "league table" positions on the basis of those findings as well as the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

The "league table" positions referred to by my noble friend Lady Blatch on 25 January and 29 March were calculated on the basis of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights although, under Article 54 of the Convention, the execution of these judgments would have passed through the Committee of Ministers.

Figures published by the Council of Europe for findings of violations by the Committee of Ministers under Article 32 of the Convention exclude those for cases where a violation has been found by the Committee but has not yet been remedied by the country concerned, and were not therefore considered sufficiently representative for use as a basis for calculation.

Statistics based on further information supplied by the Council of Europe, including both published findings of violations by the Committee of Ministers and findings of violations by the committee where

ECHR Cases: Comparative table of states' records (based on judgments by European Court of Human Rights and Decisions of the Committee of Ministers)
Number of violations (at 10.5.95)
State Party Population Court Committee of Ministers1 Date of acceptance of Art. 25 Number of years of acceptance of Art. 25 Violations per 100,000 at population per annum Position
Austria 8,000,000 28 25 3.9.58 37 0.0179504 6
Belgium 10,054,559 20 9 5.7.55 40 0.007211 12
Bulgaria 8,982,000 0 0 7.9.92 3 0 —
Cyprus 725,000 1 0 1.1.89 6 0.0229885 3
Czech Rep 10,302,000 0 0 — — 0 —
Denmark 5,180,614 2 1 13.4.53 42 0.0013787 17
Finland 5,029,000 1 1 10.5.90 5 0.0079538 10
France 56,893,000 30 51 2.10.81 14 0.0101694 8
Germany 81,075,000 11 10 5.7.55 40 0.0006475 19
Greece 10,256,464 6 2 20.11.85 10 0.0078 11
Hungary 10,278,000 0 0 5.11.92 3 0 —
Iceland 264,922 2 0 29.3.55 40 0.0188734 5
Ireland 3,525,719 6 0 25.2.53 42 0.0040518 15
Italy 57,052,000 83 347 1.8.73 22 0.34259 1
Liechtenstein 29,868 0 0 8.9.82 13 0 —
Luxembourg 395,200 0 0 28.4.58 37 0 —
Malta 366,541 1 0 1.5.87 8 0.341064 2
Netherlands 15,240,000 23 10 28.6.60 35 0.0061867 13
Norway 4,299,167 1 1 10.12.55 40 0.001163 18
Poland 38,300,000 0 0 1.5.93 2 0 —
Portugal 9,862,700 6 26 9.11.78 17 0.0190855 4
Romania 22,760,449 0 0 20.6.94 1 0 —
San Marino 24,000 0 0 22.3.89 6 0 —
Slovakia 5,274,335 0 0 — — 0 —
Slovenia 2,020,000 0 0 20.6.94 1 0 —
Spain 38,872,268 7 2 1.7.81 14 0.0016537 16
Sweden 8,635,000 21 16 4.2.52 43 0.0099648 9
Switzerland 6,833,750 14 5 28.11.74 21 0.0132396 7
Turkey 60,777,000 0 2 28.1.87 8 0.004113 20
United Kingdom 56,467,000 35 35 14.1.66 29 0.0042746 14
1 Figures include findings of violations by the Committee of Ministers where measures have yet to be taken by the relevant State Party.

ECHR Violations: Comparative table of states' records (based on Judgments of European Court of Human Rights)
State Party Population Number of violations found by court (at 29.3.95) Date of acceptance of Art. 25 Number of years of acceptance of Art. 25 Violations per 100,000 at population per annum Position
Austria 8,000,000 27 3.9.58 37 0.009121 5
Belgium 10,054,559 20 5.7.55 40 0.00475 9
Bulgaria 8,982,000 0 7.9.92 3 0 —
Cyprus 725,000 1 1.1.89 6 0.0216 2
Czech Rep 10,302,000 0 — — 0 —
Denmark 5,180,614 2 13.4.53 42 0.00071 17
Finland 5,029,000 1 10.5.90 5 0.0020 15
France 56,893,000 29 2.10.81 14 0.0036409 12
Germany 81,075,000 11 5.7.55 40 0.00025 19
Greece 10,256,464 6 20.11.85 10 0.00585 7
Hungary 10,278,000 0 5.11.92 3 0 —
Iceland 264,922 2 29.3.55 40 0.01875 3
Ireland 3,525,719 6 25.2.53 42 0.0040518 11
Italy 57,052,000 82 1.8.73 22 0.0063636 6
Liechtenstein 29,868 0 8.9.82 13 0 —

measures have yet to be taken by the relevant country, have been placed in the Library.

I regret that there was an error in the original information in respect of Switzerland supplied by the Council of Europe, and hence in the material placed in the Library on 9 May. This does not however, alter the position of Switzerland in the table. A corrected table has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

ECHR Violations: Comparative table of states' records (based on Judgments of European Court of Human Rights)
State Party Population Number of violations found by court (at 29.3.95) Date of acceptance of Art. 25 Number of years of acceptance of Art. 25 Violations per 100,000 at population per annum Position
Luxembourg 395,200 0 28.4.58 37 0 —
Malta 366,541 1 1.5.87 8 0.03375 1
Netherlands 15,240,000 23 28.6.60 35 0.004311 10
Norway 4,299,167 1 10.12.55 40 0.0005 18
Poland 38,300,000 0 1.5.93 2 0 —
Portugal 9,862,700 6 9.11.78 17 0.0035294 13
Romania 22,760,449 0 20.6.94 1 0 —
San Marino 24,000 0 22.3.89 6 0 —
Slovakia 5,274,335 0 — — 0 —
Slovenia 2,020,000 0 20.6.94 1 0 —
Spain 38,872,268 7 1.7.81 14 0.0012862 16
Sweden 8,635,000 21 4.2.52 43 0.0055813 8
Switzerland 6,833,750 14 28.11.74 21 0.0095238 4
Turkey 60,777,000 0 28.1.87 8 0 —
United Kingdom 56,467,000 35 14.1.66 29 0.0021373 14