Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2010, Official Report, column 7WS, what consideration his Department has given to the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when making new policy and legislation since May 2015.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response the Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, my Hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Edward Timpson), gave to PQ50471 and add the following.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office promotes respect for human rights, including the rights of children, throughout the world. British Embassies and High Commissions monitor and raise human rights issues, including children's rights, in their host countries. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also works through the United Nations and other multilateral fora to encourage respect for children's rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Protecting children from violence and abuse is a particular focus of our work with the United Kingdom's Overseas Territories (OTs). In February 2015 the Government established the Child Safeguarding Unit to work in partnership with the governments of the OTs to support their efforts to strengthen child safeguarding systems, where the protection of children's rights remains primarily the responsibility of territory governments. At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council last year OT leaders committed to lead national responses and to ensure child-centred and coordinated approaches to safeguarding. The Council will meet this year in London from 1-2 November and will be hosted by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, who will co-chair a discussion on good governance and human rights (including children's rights) with the Solicitor General.