To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation between Her Majesty's Government and the United Nations took place prior to the withdrawal by the United Nations of invitations to British-based human rights organisations concerned with human rights in (a) the Punjab, (b) Kashmir and (c) Assam, to attend a United Nations conference on human rights in Vienna; and if he will make a statement.

The secretariat of the United Nations world conference on human rights was informed in advance of the conference that we had no objection to any British-based human rights non-governmental organisation being invited to participate. On learning of the withdrawal of the invitations to those organisations referred to by the hon. Member, we protested to the secretariat. As a direct result of this pressure, the invitations were reinstated.