§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister will attend the UN Human Rights Committee hearings on the UK Periodic report due to be discussed later this year. [981]
§ Peter HainThe UK attaches importance to meeting its obligations to report on implementation of commitments under UN core human rights treaties. The UK's Fifth Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), submitted in 1999, was approved by Ministers. But in line with usual practice, there are no plans for a Minister to attend the Human Rights Committee examination of the UK report in October this year. Senior officials from the relevant Government Department will attend.