To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes are required to domestic legislation in order to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. [HL4192]

The Government are fully committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention. We are currently working through the formal UK process of ratification, during which we will lay the required Explanatory Memorandum before Parliament to obtain approval for ratification. If Parliament agrees to ratification, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will then commence the formal ratification process with the Council of Europe.

The Government had hoped to complete this process earlier in the year, but due to extended discussions with the devolved Administrations and with legal advisers this has not been possible. We do not believe that further legislation will be necessary before we can proceed. We now hope to complete the parliamentary process before the Summer Recess, and the Council of Europe process within two months of that.