HC Deb 15 June 2004 vol 422 c864W
Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) representations his Department has received and (b) meetings his Department has had with representatives of (i) national minorities, (ii) ethnic groups and (iii) others in respect of his Department's assessment of the Government's compliance with the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. [175399]

Fiona Mactaggart

[holding answer 24 May 2004]The information is as follows:

(a) The Government have received written representations on the Government's 2nd compliance report under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities from the following organisations and members of Parliament:

UK Race and European Network (UKREN);

National Travellers Action Group;

Cornish National Minority Steering Group;

Cornwall 2000;

Minority Rights Group;

Jean Corston MP (as Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights); and

Lord Lester

(b) Home Office officials have had one meeting with non-governmental organisations in connection with the 2nd compliance report. That meeting took place on 20 April 2004 with representative of the Cornish National Minority Steering Group, Cornwall 2000 and the Federal Union of European Nationalities.

Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his Department's contribution to the Government's compliance report to the Council of Europe under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. [175401]

Fiona Mactaggart

The Home Office is co-ordinating the Government's second compliance report under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and we hope to complete a first draft later in the summer. We will circulate the draft widely to nongovernmental organisations for comment and aim to submit the final version to the Council of Europe in the autumn.