Death Penalty Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Sheldon
Main Page: Lord Sheldon (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Sheldon's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(11 years, 9 months ago)
Lords Chamber
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to end the use of the death penalty worldwide.
My Lords, we continue to work towards global abolition in line with the FCO strategy for abolition of the death penalty. We regularly raise this issue in bilateral discussions with countries of concern and fund projects in support of abolition. In December last year we worked intensively to help ensure that the UN General Assembly resolution against the death penalty was supported by more countries than before.
My Lords, we need to limit the death penalty, which is much used in China. It is more limited in other countries, and it still exists in parts of the United States. Generally, there has been a reduction in the death penalty, but further limitations must be pressed.
I agree with the sentiments of the noble Lord. That is why we work with countries on a two-pronged approach—those countries which wish to retain the death penalty on their books but want, effectively, to impose a moratorium and then move towards abolition.