Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-06-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend the UK to continue to be a member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK continues to be an active member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights. I also refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton (Mr Raab) in the House of Commons on 14 June 2016 (House of Commons Vol. 611, Column 1615), in which he said that while we cannot rule out forever withdrawal from the Convention, it is not the Government’s policy to withdraw.