Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karl McCartney and David Lidington

Tuesday 29th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should use our presidency of the Council of Europe to push through reform of the European Court of Human Rights, so that it does not consider cases that have been properly considered by national courts but concentrates instead on serious and systemic human rights abuses?

[Mr Lidington]

That is the clear top priority of the British chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which I discussed with members of the Parliamentary Assembly and the secretary-general last Friday.