Oral Answers to Questions

David Rutley Excerpts

Tuesday 15th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Blunt]

We need to know, and the House will know, when we have come to a considered view, answered all these questions and gone through the normal processes and assessments of government. That is entirely normal. The hon. Gentleman will get the answers to all his questions when we publish our confirmed proposals.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

4. What assessment he has made of progress in reforming the operation of the European Court of Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

[Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

8. What assessment he has made of progress in reforming the operation of the European Court of Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)]

Good progress has been made in clearing the backlog of inadmissible cases, but more work is needed to address the growing backlog of admissible cases, hence the recent Brighton declaration under the UK’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which represents a substantial and important step towards realising the Government’s ambitions.

[David Rutley]

Does my hon. Friend agree that the European Court should be a court of last resort and end the practice of revisiting domestic courts’ decisions when it does not need to do so?

[Mr Vara]

I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. We expect the effect of the reforms agreed under the Brighton declaration to be that more cases are resolved at the national level, which should mean that fewer cases are considered by the Court.