§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the work of his Department in the field of child abduction over the past year; and what work is planned in the year ahead. [30389]
§ Mr. BaldryWe provide support to families in 75 cases worldwide. We initiated an EU demarche urging a range of countries to sign up to the Hague and European conventions. We raised child abduction at the 50th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights and in an EU presidency statement to the Commission on Human Rights. We maintained our funding and commitment to Reunite, the national council for abducted children. We held two meetings with the all-party parliamentary group. We work closely with the Lord Chancellor's Department.
In the year ahead we shall continue to press foreign Governments to sign the conventions and to support the families of abducted children.