HC Deb 03 July 1997 vol 297 cc220-1W
Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to accede to those international human rights instruments to which the United Kingdom is not yet party. [6915]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

We will review over the next year the United Kingdom's position under various international human rights instruments. This will include the question of accession to Protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and acceptance of the rights of individual petition under other UN human rights treaties. We shall also examine whether any of the United Kingdom's reservations to human rights treaties can be withdrawn.