asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will ratify the optional protocol to the Convention on Rights of the Child.[HL7374]

The United Kingdom ratified the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC-OP-AC) on 24 June 2003.The United Kingdom signed the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC-OP-SC) on 7 September 2000. The Government are committed to ratifying it at the earliest opportunity. The Home Office is undertaking a review to determine the extent to which the United Kingdom complies with the articles set out in the optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Government want to ensure that there are no gaps in the measures which exist to protect children in the way the protocol intended. Once the Government are confident that the United Kingdom is fully compliant, the optional protocol will be ratified.