§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they have taken since June 1998, when the reportThe Silent War was published, to encourage the Government of Brazil to arrest and punish the killers of street children in Rio de Janeiro and other cities. [HL309]
§ Baroness AmosThe Government have discussed the distressing plight of street children in Brazil in the context of the annual Human Rights Dialogue which was launched with the Brazilian authorities in November 2000. We expect to hold a second round by the end of this year. The Brazilian federal authorities have welcomed this exchange and deserve credit for the constructive approach they have adopted to help deal with these problems. The United Kingdom has supported programmes targeted at helping children. We are currently assisting the Brazilian police and prison service with training to help raise their human rights awareness, which we hope will also contribute to better treatment of children on the street.