§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the outcome of the international review meeting in 1997 of the Hague Convention on Child Abduction; and what follow-up action the British Government are taking. [44906]
§ Mr. HoonThe review of the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention in March 1997 achieved a wide measure of consensus between contracting states on improvements to the operation of the Convention, and in particular on the standards needed to ensure that new states parties can implement the provisions of the Convention effectively. The Government have followed up the review by promoting judicial and administrative contacts to discuss and improve the operation of the Convention between the UK and other contracting states. In the wider international field, my Department has been working to promote improvements in relations with justice ministries in other European Union Member states as part of the UK's Presidency of the European Union.