Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Phillip Lee and David Linden

Tuesday 31st October 2017 Commons Chamber

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to maintain human rights standards after the UK leaves the EU.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Dr Phillip Lee)]

The United Kingdom has a long tradition of ensuring rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling its international human rights obligations. The decision to leave the European Union does not change this.

[David Linden]

Last week, during evidence to the Brexit Committee, the Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr Baker), said of the charter of fundamental rights:

“It is right that we leave behind the charter, and that we continue to rely on the Human Rights Act and the convention.”

Is it now the Government’s intention to stay in the European convention on human rights and to keep the Human Rights Act after Brexit?

[Dr Lee]

The European convention on human rights is separate from the European Union, so leaving the European Union does not affect our membership of the convention.