Clause 18 - Human rights
Equality Bill
9:45 am
Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)
The clause was raised in discussion of clause 9 and I want to clarify one or two issues. Clause 18 allows the commission to co-operate with other bodies in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in carrying out its human rights duties under clause 9. For example, it would allow the commission to co-operate with the proposed Scottish commissioner for human rights on a joint inquiry on human rights matters covering England, Wales and Scotland. Alternatively, the commission might want to contribute to the activities of the Council of Europe in raising awareness of the European convention on human rights or the human rights activities of the United Nations.
The clause would, when read alongside the duties set out in clause 9 to encourage good practice on human rights and promote awareness, understanding and protection of human rights, allow the commission to co-operate with bodies that oversee international human rights treaties.
Dominic Grieve (Shadow Attorney General, (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I wonder whether the expression “human rights” is too narrow. Is not it the case that the commission’s remit goes beyond “human rights” as defined in the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European convention?
I would have expected co-operation with other bodies to be possible on matters relevant to the commission’s activities. By spelling it out expressly that that co-operation will be on human rights issues alone, is there a danger that the clause could be too restrictive?
Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)
I shall regret having spoken on clause stand part. The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point. However, the Bill’s current purpose is to emphasise the importance of that co-operation. We shall have, for the first time in this country, an institution to support the 1998 Act and to deal with human rights issues, so we wanted to be clear about that in the Bill. His point goes wider than the clause. If he will allow me to write to him, I can deal with his point in more detail.
Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)
Order. I should say to the hon. Lady that, had the point gone wider than the clause, I would have ruled it out of order.
Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)
I accept your ruling, of course, Mr.d¤Gale. My intention was to say that matters elsewhere in the Bill, to which I am unable to respond at present, may deal with the point made by the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve).
Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I wanted to record my thanks to the hon. Lady for making that point. She will be aware that I raised general concerns and asked questions when we discussed clause 9. Indeed, we noted that clause 9 mentions convention rights and other human rights.
I am reassured to a degree that clause 18 will enable the commission, for example, to look at the way in which human rights laws and treaties are evolving outside the UK. It is important for the commission to be able to do that.
Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)
The commission could do that by submitting opinions for consideration in the monitoring of the UK’s performance against its international obligations. That is precisely the task about which the hon. Gentleman asked on Tuesday.
That is an important part of the functions of a national human rights institution, as it will allow the commission to function as an independent monitor of the protection of human rights in the UK. In that respect, it would mostly work with United Nations committees that examine the compliance of the United Kingdom with its obligations under treaties such as the international covenant on civil and political rights or the convention against torture. We would expect the commission to contribute to that examination process where appropriate. I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that it is already within the commission’s powers to do so.