asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish their document on the powers of the European Court of Human Rights referred to in the
Guardian on 2nd April 1996.
The Note on the Position of the British Government has been laid in the Libraries of both Houses.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is correct, as reported in the
Guardian on 2nd April 1996, that the Government are seeking to persuade the governments of other member states of the Council of Europe to limit the powers of the European Court of Human Rights and, if not, whether they will state the accurate position.
The Government accept the powers of the European Court of Human Rights as laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights. What we are seeking is wider and more consistent application of the court's own doctrine of the margin of appreciation, as indicated in our Note on the Position of the British Government. The note has been laid in the Libraries of both Houses.