§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will initiate a study into the likely conseque 'Pal effects of establishing a human rights commission on the existing arrangements for upholding laws relating to(a) equal opportunities, (b) sex discrimination, (c) racial discrimination, (d) disability rights and (e) child protection; [1721]
(2) what assessment he has made of the case for establishing a human rights commission to promote the Human Rights Act 1998 and investigate violations of human rights in the United Kingdom. [1720]
§ Mr. WillsThe Government have not ruled out the possibility of a Human Rights Commission. We already have several commissions, however, for example the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission, and there may be and case for a single, over-arching human rights commission, with a divisional structure, to cover all these areas. The Government would welcome representations on that possibility. During the last Parliament, the Joint Committee on Human Rights issued a consultation document, seeking views on what form a human rights commission might take. We will consider very carefully any recommendations the reconstituted Joint Committee makes following this consultation.