European Convention on Human Rights

HL Deb 21 April 2004 vol 660 c41WA

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will extend the European Convention on Human Rights to all of the territories for whose international relations the United Kingdom is responsible. [HL2378]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The European Convention on Human Rights has already been extended to Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The convention will apply to the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia with effect from 1 May 2004. In respect of Pitcairn, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 29 March 2004 (WA 127).

There are no plans to extend the convention to the remaining Overseas Territories which do not have settled populations.