§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the improvements he wishes to see in the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and if he will make a statement. [56680]
§ Mr. HoonThe Government are generally satisfied with the legal principles underlying the operation of the Convention, which provides for the return of children who have been wrongfully removed from, or wrongfully retained away from, their country of habitual residence. There is always scope for improvement through better coordination and cooperation among contracting states. Discussions on specific problems take place regularly with other contracting states through judicial and administrative channels. Proposals put forward at the Third Meeting of the Special Commission of the Hague Conference are set out in their report published in August 1997.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place in the Library all information available to him about(a) the deliberations of the Special Commission to review the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction which took place in March 1997 and (b) the Special Commission's conclusions. [56686]
§ Mr. HoonThe Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference published a report on the March 1997 Third Special Commission on the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention in August 1997. Copies will be placed in the Library as soon as possible. A bibliography on this Convention is available on the Internet at web site http://www.hcch.net.