§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy regarding adherence to International Labour Organisation legislation; and which 253W human rights instruments (a) have been rejected, (b) are under consideration and (c) have been accepted in principle, where the United Kingdom had not fully acceded, since May 1997. [90944]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe Government are committed to supporting and promoting adherence to the standards and principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has lead responsibility for Government policy towards the ILO.
Our commitment to the ILO is matched by action. At the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 1999, we played a leading role in securing agreement to a new Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which becomes one of the ILO's core labour standards. At that Conference, we also announced our ratification of the ILO Convention 111 on Discrimination in Employment, one of the core labour conventions. At the ILC in June 1998, we played a key role in the agreement of a Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. And we are currently reviewing our position on ILO Convention 138 on Minimum Age of employment, the only one of the seven existing core labour conventions that the UK has yet to ratify. The UK has ratified a total of 66 conventions, which bears favourable comparison with other industrialised countries.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department announced the outcome of the Government's review of international human rights instruments in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Mr. Twigg) on 3 March 1999, Official Report, columns 756–57. Since then, on 31 March 1999 we signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and on 20 May 1999 we ratified protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights. Both protocols concern abolition of the death penalty.