§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place between his officials and representatives of the Government of Honduras in respect of the number of murders of street children; and if he will make a statement. [59243]
§ Mr. MacShaneWe regularly raise our concerns over the distressing plight of street children in Honduras in the framework of our bilateral relations and in international fora. In May 2002, an official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office while in Honduras, raised the issue of human rights with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and visited a juvenile rehabilitation centre in Tegucigalpa.
1277WEU Ambassadors in Tegucigalpa recently invited the new Human Rights Commissioner to attend a meeting where the plight of street children in Honduras was discussed.
The Honduras Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), a good example of a British Government poverty reduction strategy for developing countries, is designed to integrate actions and commitments to tackle child poverty. Through the PRSP, HMG is committed to strengthening the role of the Honduran Institute for Children and the Family especially in assisting vulnerable children and adolescents; and to helping implement Honduras' National Plan for the Gradual and Progressive Eradication of Child Labour.