Departmental Legislation

Chris Huhne
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criminal offences have been (a) abolished and (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Chris Bryant
In primary legislation sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1 May 2008 no offences have been abolished.

The Geneva Conventions and UN Personnel (Protocols) Act 2009 (i) amends the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 to provide protection under the criminal law in respect of grave breaches of the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, involving the misuse of the new humanitarian emblem, the Red Crystal and (ii) amends the United Nations Personnel Act 1997 to provide that offences under that Act will also apply to attacks against UN workers involved in delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance, as required by the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention in the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel.