§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those organisations funded by committees' money campaigning to end the death penalty; if such organisations campaign in the United States; and what representations he has received from(a) the US Government (b) individual US states thereon. [78124]
§ Mr. RammellIt is unclear to which committee the hon. Member is referring, but it is HMG policy to lobby for a world-wide abolition of the death penalty.
The UK took the lead during its EU presidency in formulating new EU guidelines on the death penalty. We have also established a Death Penalty Panel including expert academics and NGO representatives.
Currently, the FCO is funding the International Justice Project. It is a resource centre in the US that provides information to US defence lawyers tackling death penalty cases.
We shall continue to lobby States in the US until the death penalty is abolished.