§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Prime Minister, what are the responsibilities of(a) the Home Office, (b) the Foreign 361W and Commonwealth Office, (c) the Lord Chancellor's Department and (d) the Ministry of Defence for matters relating to the Geneva Convention. [83030]
§ The Prime MinisterThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office has overall responsibility for International Law including International Humanitarian Law, of which the Geneva Conventions of 1949 form a major component. It maintains close relations with the Red Cross movement including the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Ministry of Defence has responsibility for the application of International Humanitarian Law by the UK's armed forces. The Home Office is responsible for legislation implementing the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols (1977), that is the Geneva Conventions Act (1957) as amended by the Geneva Conventions Amendment Act (1995). The Lord Chancellor's Department has no direct responsibility for the Geneva Convention.