§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his 307W Department has made of the practice in Monaco of holding prisoners on remand for extensive periods without charge in the context of the Monegasque Government's desire to join the Council of Europe. [177081]
§ Mr. MacShaneMonaco is committed to introduce new laws as part of the process of joining the Council of Europe. As well as undertaking to sign the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) upon accession, and to ratify this Convention and Protocols 1, 4, 6, 7 and 13 within a year of accession, the Government of Monaco has also undertaken to submit the necessary Bills aimed at defining arrangements for: police custody; pre-trial detention; the provision of grounds for negative administrative decisions; and the expulsion of foreigners and suppression of forced exile. These measures will help ensure the compatibility of Monaco legislation with the ECHR and its Protocols.
Once Monaco joins the Council of Europe we will work within the Council of Europe to monitor Monaco's honouring of their accession commitments and obligations, including this requirement to introduce domestic legislation to ensure conformity with the standards of the Council of Europe.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the fairness of the judicial process in Monaco in the context of the Monegasque Government's desire to join the Council of Europe. [177082]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government welcomes Monaco's application for membership of the Council of Europe, providing Monaco honours the commitments set out by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. These include Monaco signing upon accession to the Council of Europe the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.