HL Deb 02 February 2004 vol 656 cc79-80WA
Lord Lester of Heme Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) When they first considered whether to ratify the Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and the other human rights treaties to which the United Kingdom is party and to accept the individual complaint mechanisms to the United Nations supervisory bodies; and
  2. (b) When they will announce their decisions on these issues. [HL874]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin)

Additional Protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights to which the United Kingdom has not acceded and individual complaint mechanisms to the United Nations supervisory bodies which the UK has not accepted have been considered under the Interdepartmental Review of International Human Rights Instruments. The review was announced by Lord Irvine on 7 March 2002, and the first interdepartmental meeting of officials took place on 15 May 2002. We will report the outcomes of the review as soon as is reasonably possible.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What recommendations have been made by the United Nations treaty bodies and non-governmental organisations proposing that the United Kingdom should ratify Additional Protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights and other human rights treaties by which the United Kingdom is bound, and should accept the individual complaint mechanisms operated by the United Nations supervisory bodies. [HL875]

Lord Filkin

All four treaty monitoring bodies for the main United Nations human rights treaties (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention against Torture and other forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) have at one time or another recommended that the United Kingdom should accept the individual complaints mechanisms associated with the treaties. A number of non-governmental organisations consulted as part of the Interdepartmental Review of International Human Rights Instruments have also recommended that the United Kingdom should accept the individual complaints mechanisms, and that the UK should sign and ratify additional protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights.