To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place to ensure that all legislation is compliant with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; and how those arrangements are implemented. [HL5170]

The UK is fully committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Government implement the convention through a combination of legislation and policy initiatives. As set out, for example in the Government's Children Plan for England, the ambitions for children and young people and the policies to deliver these, reflect and are informed by the general principles and the articles of the UNCRC.

Legislation is subject to scrutiny by a range of bodies including the Joint Committee on Human Rights and interested parties such as the Children's Commissioner and NGOs concerned with children's rights.

All of these bodies can and do play a very important role in scrutinising and commenting on the degree to which new legislative proposals would be consistent with the UK's obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.