§ Mr. GapesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for Her Majesty's Government to accede to the First Optional Protocol to the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [57410]
§ Kate HoeyThe Government announced on 3 July 1997,Official Report, column 221, that they intended to review the United Kingdom's position under various international instruments. This includes whether to accept the right of individuals to submit complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We expect the review to be completed by the end of the year.