§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the recommendations of the UN Committee on Social, Cultural 463W and Economic Rights following its deliberations on the most recent United Kingdom Periodic Report; what response the Government will make to each; and to which Government departments, agencies and other bodies these recommendations have been, or will be, communicated. [24090]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe Committee's written Observations in United Nations document E/C.12/1/Add.19 are currently being edited. When finalised, they will be available on the Internet. An unedited version has been placed in the libraries of the House.
Copies have been sent to the Departments involved in preparing the United Kingdom's report: the DfEE; DTI; Department of Health; DETR; DSS; Home Office; Northern Ireland Office; Scottish Office; Welsh Office; DfID; Office of Science and Technology; MAFF and DCMS. We will consider the Committee's Observations and will report on progress under them in our fourth periodic report in June 1999.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he has received on measures required to take account of General Comment 5 on Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the UN Human Rights Committee. [24089]
§ Mr. Tony LloydWe are aware of the views of the Human Rights Committee as set out in their 1981 General Comment Number 5.
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has made it clear that the introduction of a judicial element into the process for extending detention will be one of the matters considered in the forthcoming consultation paper on counter-terrorism.