Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its review of the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with Committee Experts commending the steps taken to provide a real living wage, while asking questions on reported discriminatory legislation for asylum seekers and high levels of child poverty in the State party. 

Joo-Young Lee, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said in its reply to the list of issues, the State party stated that the level of the minimum living wage for this year would be set at a level not below two-thirds of the median earnings in the United Kingdom.  For the first time, the cost of living would also be taken into account in this process, with the aim of providing a real living wage, which was commendable. 

Seree Nonthasoot, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, said it had been reported that the discriminatory effects of such recent legislation as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the Illegal Migration Act 2023, and the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 had hindered access by migrants in an irregular situation and asylum seekers to social protection benefits.  Could the State party clarify if these hindering measures were in place and if social benefits would be ensured to this marginalised group?

Julieta Rossi, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said the United Kingdom was one of the richest economies in the world, yet extremely high figures of poverty persisted. According to information, during the period 2022/2023, 21 per cent of the population lived in relative poverty, with alarming rates of 30 per cent in childhood, or 4.3 million children.  Was the State developing a strategy to achieve a drastic and short-term reduction of poverty, which prioritised child poverty and poverty of disadvantaged groups? 

The delegation said last month, a new border security, asylum and immigration bill was introduced to parliament, which included the repeal of the Safety of Rwanda Act and amended the Illegal Migration Act, including the duty to remove individuals who had arrived in the United Kingdom immediately.  The Nationality and Borders Act remained in place, but all asylum claims were individually considered in line with international obligations. 

Concerning child poverty, the delegation said the United Kingdom Government was developing a child poverty strategy to be launched in spring, as part of a 10-year strategy to address the issue.  The strategy would look at increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, and better local support.  The incoming Government had committed to ending dependence on emergency food parcels. In the financial year 2025/2026, funding of 742 million pounds would be devolved to local governments to help address this issue.

Robert Linham, Deputy Director, Rights Policy, Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom and head of the delegation, introducing the report, said the United Kingdom had a system of asymmetric devolution.  The position of the United Kingdom Government remained that incorporation was not necessary for the Covenant’s full implementation, which had been secured through a combination of policies and legislation.  But the Scottish Government had embarked on a programme to incorporate international treaties into Scots law.  Regarding the right to work, increasing the number of people in work was central to the United Kingdom Government’s mission to grow the economy.  Proposals, backed by 240 million pounds of investment, had been announced to reform employment support and create an inclusive labour market. 

In concluding remarks, Mr. Nonthasoot extended appreciation to the United Kingdom delegation for its superb time and sequence management, which allowed the Committee to raise all relevant questions.  The Committee implored the United Kingdom to ensure that all Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories under its control provided the highest standard of human rights to everyone. 

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Linham said the dialogue had been rich and detailed, covering a variety of issues.  It was hoped that the Committee could see the efforts being undertaken in the whole of the United Kingdom to improve economic, social and cultural rights. 

The delegation of the United Kingdom was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government; the United Nations Human Rights and IMA Policy Team; the Department for Business and Trade; the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; the Department for Education; the Department for Work Pensions; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Department for Energy and Net Zero; the Department of Health and Social Care; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the HM Treasury; the Home Office; the Scottish Government; the Welsh Government; the Northern Ireland Executive Office; the Attorney General’s Chambers for the Isle of Man; the Government of Jersey; and the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee’s seventy-seventh session is being held until 28 February 2025.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Webcasts of the meetings of the session can be found here, and meetings summaries can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Monday, 17 February to begin its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Rwanda (E/C.12/RWA/5).

Report

The Committee has before it the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (E/C.12/GBR/7).

Presentation of Report

ROBERT LINHAM, Deputy Director, Rights Policy, Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom and head of the delegation, said the United Kingdom had a system of asymmetric devolution by which specified areas of responsibility were devolved to some or all of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  For example, health and education were devolved to all three nations; social security was fully devolved to Northern Ireland but only in part to Scotland; and immigration was largely reserved to the United Kingdom Government.  The delegation also represented the three Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, as well as the 14 British Overseas Territories, home to 250,000 people. 

One example of devolution in practice related to the incorporation of the Covenant into national law.  The position of the United Kingdom Government remained that incorporation was not necessary for the Covenant’s full implementation, which had been secured through a combination of policies and legislation; and further what it would take to incorporate the Covenant would not be justified by the benefits.  But the Scottish Government had embarked on a programme to incorporate international treaties into Scots law. Its incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with two Optional Protocols, came into force last July; and the Scottish Government had committed, subject to the outcome of the next election, to introduce a human rights bill in the next session of Parliament that would give domestic legal effect in Scots law to the present Covenant and some other United Nations treaties.

Since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and political institutions in February last year, new initiatives had been launched, including an additional 25 million pounds to support early learning and childcare, the provision of free period products to anyone who needed them, and a strategy to end violence against women and girls.  The United Kingdom general election in June 2024 resulted in a change of government to the Labour Party.  In some areas, the approach had already changed quite radically, while other policies remained under review. 

Regarding the right to work, increasing the number of people in work was central to the United Kingdom Government’s mission to grow the economy.  Proposals, backed by 240 million pounds of investment, had been announced to reform employment support and create an inclusive labour market. Last October, the Government also introduced an employment rights bill into the United Kingdom’s Parliament to increase workers’ rights to better working conditions and more secure work, and to improve industrial relations.  It also included protections from sexual harassment; gender and menopause action plans; and enhanced rights for pregnant workers.

In the same vein, Guernsey enacted legislation that formally made discrimination on the grounds of race, disability, carer status, religion or belief, and sexual orientation unlawful, covering the fields of employment, the provision of goods and services, accommodation, and membership of clubs and associations.

Regarding the right to health, England introduced the “Core 20 Plus 5” approach to reduce healthcare inequalities, amongst the most deprived 20 per cent of the population. The Government’s goal was to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between England’s richest and poorest regions, which in 2020 stood at 10.8 years.  The mental health bill, introduced into Parliament last November, sought to address inadequate care of autistic people and people with learning disabilities, and reduce their unnecessary detention.

Using newly devolved powers as part of its goal to eradicate child poverty, the Scottish Government introduced five payments to eligible families.  Three Best Start Grants provided one-off payments at key stages in a child’s life.  Best Start Foods was a regular weekly payment to help buy milk and healthy food.  And the Scottish Child Payment helped with the costs of supporting a family.  Similarly, Wales offered free school meals to all children in State primary schools.

In cultural rights, the United Kingdom last year ratified the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.  In Wales, the Cymraeg 2050 Welsh Language Strategy saw almost 17,000 people studying with the National Centre for Learning Welsh in 2022/23, a 33 per cent increase over five years.  Regarding environmental commitments, finally, the Paris Agreement was extended to the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey in 2022 and 2023. Mr. Linham said the United Kingdom was committed to upholding the rights set out in the Covenant. 

Questions by Committee Experts

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, said the Committee, via the Secretariat, had received more than 72 submissions pertaining to the periodic report of the State party, probably the highest number thus far for any State party, which attested to the attention and interest that the international community and stakeholders gave to the State party and its report.  It was also important to note, following the submission of the report, that there was a general election in July 2024 and a new administration had since been appointed. 

The Committee observed that the Covenant could not be applied directly by the State party’s domestic courts.  While there was alignment between the State party’s Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, there was as yet no such transposition mechanism for the Covenant?  Was the Covenant applicable in Anguilla and Northern Ireland?  When would the nearly 50-year-old reservations to the Covenant be withdrawn?  Did the State party’s plan to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Covenant?

The Committee recognised the State party’s record in introducing the first national action plan on business and human rights in the world in 2013, which was updated in 2016, and the Modern Slavery Act in 2015.  However, there was still an absence of a comprehensive legal framework for human rights due diligence, especially by United Kingdom companies in their transnational operations.  Could clarification on this be provided?  When would systematic and mandatory human rights due diligence be introduced? 

Was the State party contemplating adopting a sectoral approach in the revision of the national action plan, where key sectoral performance indicators could be specified, for example in banking and finance, retail, construction, and health?  Did the State party intend to integrate effective remedial mechanisms, including legal aid to victims into the next national action plan and, more strategically, binding legislation? Would non-judicial recourse be provided for victims in extraterritorial cases?

The Committee had scrutinised the 2024 report submitted to Parliament by the United Kingdom’s Climate Change Committee and found alarming findings.  The Committee concluded that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the 2030 target were covered by credible plans, and low-carbon technologies must become the norm.  The Committee was also concerned that the devolved structure of the State party’s administrations had led to the fact that obligations arising from the Paris Agreement had not extended to all Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.  What was the concrete policy path to meet the action lines and targets, particularly home decarbonisation and adaptation?  How would the Paris Agreement have full coverage and effect in the territory of the State party?

How was the State party addressing the tax system which had created negative impacts on vulnerable and marginalised groups, including the regressive nature of the value added tax on low-income households, and the welfare to work policies that posed a burden on people with disabilities?  In November 2024, the net public debt of the United Kingdom stood at 98.1 per cent.  How was this high public debt level impacting social budget programmes and what was the medium- and long-term direction on public debt management which would sustain basic public service investment and maintenance? 

Could the State party provide policy trajectory on the concrete plan to tackle tax evasion and illicit financial flows, and in particular the reform of law and regulations in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and other Overseas Territories that were indexed as tax havens?

How did the new administration intend to address the regional disparity issue?  What were the cumulative impacts of the two austerity programmes implemented by the United Kingdom? 

Had an assessment been carried out to implement the official development assistance restoration to 0.7% of the gross national income.  There were reports indicating that part of the development aid through British International Investment had caused impacts on key sectors responsible for delivering human rights, including health and education.  Could this be clarified?  The Committee was concerned by the lack of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation; could the delegation provide more information around this? 

While the State party had achieved good progress on gender equality, there were challenges in the fragmented and uneven legislative frameworks on women’s rights, particularly in Northern Ireland, Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. There were also news reports of incidents of sexual exploitation and violence against women and young girls by ‘grooming gangs’ in places like Oldham, north Manchester. Was this an isolated incident or a common occurrence and what had been done to address the issue?

It had been reported that the discriminatory effects of such recent legislation as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the Illegal Migration Act 2023, and the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 had hindered access by migrants in an irregular situation and asylum seekers to social protection benefits.  Could the State Party clarify if these hindering measures were in place and if social benefits would be ensured to this marginalised group?

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said there was no obligation to incorporate the Covenant under domestic law. Successive Governments had explored ratifying the Optional Protocol and the view of previous Governments was that the protections were negligible.  The Covenant was applicable in England, Wales, Scotland, the three Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories.  Some of the reservations existing in the name of the United Kingdom related to territories which were no longer part of the United Kingdom, including the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu which were no longer British Overseas Territories, but sovereign States in their own right.   

The Scottish Government had developed proposals to give domestic legal effect to the rights contained in the Covenant, by incorporating them into the Scottish legal framework.  The Government aimed to deliver a clear and workable law for the authorities that would implement it. 

The Prime Minister had announced a commitment to reduce emissions by at least 81 per cent by 2035.  The target covered all sectors and categories and was aligned with the Paris Agreement. The United Kingdom was committed to extending its ratification of the Paris Agreement to all Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.  The Government had committed an additional 3.4 billion pounds to the “Warm Home Plan”, to support decarbonisation and cut bills for household heating. 

The United Kingdom was committed to making the tax system fairer and more sustainable.  The Government had committed to not increasing tax on working people.  Recent tax changes had been targeted at the highest income households and working people had been largely protected from these tax increases.  Jersey was committed to introducing measures to reduce harmful tax measures.  Jersey’s 2019 economic substance law required companies to prove their genuine business activity, preventing those without real operations from artificially reporting profits. 

A campaign had been launched against illicit finance.  At a recent joint ministerial council, the United Kingdom confirmed that Overseas Territories needed to implement fully public registers of beneficial ownership, which were key in targeting against corruption and tax evasion.  There were strong policies in place to monitor the impact of development aid programmes. 

In recent years, there had been an increase in the representation of women in parliament, as well as in senior positions in the private sector, where women now represented 41 per cent.  The United Kingdom had mandatory gender pay gap reporting, which had shown a significant close in the size of the gender pay gap.  The current Government had introduced a bill which would introduce a new duty on employers to outline how they planned to close the gender pay gap. 

There had been no agreement on a single equality bill in Northern Ireland, but numerous statutes had been enacted over the past few years.  Legislation now prohibited less favourable treatment in employment, education and public functions among others. 

The safety of children was of paramount importance, but for too long grooming gangs had operated, victims had been ignored, and perpetrators had gone unpunished.  A 10-million-pound action plan to tackle grooming gangs and child sexual abuse had been announced, which would allow victims to have the chance to have their cases re-heard.  Survivors and victims would allow their closed cases to be reviewed by an independent panel, when they previously were not taken forward to prosecution by the Crown.  An audit would begin soon which would draw on the views of victims and survivors. 

Last month, a new border security, asylum and immigration bill was introduced to parliament, which included the repeal of the Safety of Rwanda Act and amended the Illegal Migration Act, including the duty to remove individuals who had arrived in the United Kingdom immediately.  The Nationality and Borders Act remained in place, but all asylum claims were individually considered in line with international obligations. 

Questions by Committee Experts

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, said reports had been received that the Northern Ireland human rights commission was at risk of losing its A status due to insufficient funding.  The Committee would like to raise this concern.  Why did the United Kingdom not adopt the same approach as the Scottish Government in incorporating the Covenant in domestic legislation so that all people could enjoy protection from the Covenant?  What was the State doing to reduce homelessness?  The Committee was very concerned that violent incidents against women would become systematic.  There should be a clear indication on how to prevent this type of violence. 

JOO-YOUNG LEE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked what measures the Government would take to give full legal effect to the Covenant, and ensure victims of violations of economic, cultural and social rights had full access to legal remedies?  The Committee was pleased the Scottish Government had proposed the human rights bill, and hoped the provisions of the Covenant would be incorporated.  What was the plan to enact a bill of rights for northern Ireland?

A Committee Expert asked how the State was planning a social green transformation? 

Another Expert asked if there were any developments underway regarding the participation of the United Kingdom in the revised European Social Charter? 

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said all three of the human rights institutions had A status and adequate funding for their role.  At the most recent review of Northern Ireland, it was re-accredited with A status, and a baseline budget review had been launched for the Commission in 2024. 

There was no obligation for direct justiciability for the rights of the Covenant under domestic law. The United Kingdom had no plans to ratify the revised European Social Charter. 

It was intended that legislation in Scotland would increase accountability for the Covenant. 

The debt to gross domestic product ratio was expected to fall in the final year of the five-year forecast. 

The State would upgrade five million homes across the country through new technologies, including solar heat pumps and installation.  The transition to warmer, decarbonised homes would include support for the most vulnerable to combat fuel poverty.  Climate change would have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable of society, including those with pre-existing medical conditions.  The country’s climate change risk assessment took this into account and built into the development of the National Adaptation Programme.  It was essential that transition plans to net-zero were resilient in themselves.

The Government was working on a strategy to end homelessness.  Last year, a funding increase was announced for homelessness services and initiatives were announced to allow renters to challenge rental increases. 

Tackling violence against women and girls was a priority for the Government, and the State pledged to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. 

Questions by Committee Experts

JOO-YOUNG LEE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that according to information that the Committee had received, although some employment gaps gradually narrowed over time, ethnic minorities, women, young people, and persons with disabilities continued to face higher levels of unemployment and were more likely to be in a low-paid jobs.  How had the State party analysed the underlying causes of employment and pay gaps, and what was the impact of these measures on ethnic minorities, women, young people and persons with disabilities in their access to decent work?

Information received by the Committee indicated that the level of national minimum wage and national living wage was insufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living for workers, as it did not keep pace with the rising cost of living.  In its reply to the list of issues, the State party stated that the level of the minimum living wage for this year would be set at a level not below two-thirds of the median earnings in the United Kingdom. For the first time, the cost of living would also be taken into account in this process, with the aim of providing a real living wage, which was commendable.  Had the State party adopted a methodology for determining the level of the national minimum wage and the national living wage that was indexed to the cost of living. 

What measures were being taken to address precarious work such as exploitative zero-hour contracts and to enhance security of employment?  What measures were taken to protect workers from labour exploitations and to impose appropriate sanctions on those responsible?  The Committee noted that the State party planned to establish a single body, a Fair Work Agency, to enhance the effectiveness of the protection of workers.  How would it be ensured that the body had necessary 

powers and resources to effectively monitor working conditions and protect workers?  What measures were taken to ensure the right to strike?

According to information received by the Committee, the level of social security benefits was not sufficient for a decent standard of living.  Information indicated that the social security system, including the Universal Credit, was not providing people with adequate social protection. What measures were being taken to ensure that the level of social security benefits was adequate and determined by an assessment of the real cost of an adequate standard of living?  Had the State party carried out an assessment of the impact on people of such measures as the benefit cap, the two-child policy, the so-called “bed-room tax” and the five-week wait, and if so, what measures were being taken to address these impacts?  What measures were being taken to ensure that any conditions for benefits were proportionate and did not result in stigmatisation and degradation of claimants?

What measures had the State taken to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of quality childcare, including childcare for disabled children?

How was it ensured that quality social care was available, accessible, and affordable for adults who needed care and support, including older persons?

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said the creation of the national minimum wage had been one of the most successful economic interventions in the United Kingdom in the past 25 years.  The Government was determined to deliver a genuine living wage and had asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living in recommending the appropriate rates for 2025 onwards.  The Low Pay Commission expected that three million low paid workers would receive a pay rise.  The Government had recently introduced an employment rights bill which would include a right to guaranteed hours.  There would be new rights to reasonable notice of shift cancellations, and the bills would close loopholes regarding scrupulous “fire to hire” practices. The Government aimed to protect workers and business from the minority of employers who broke the rules.   

Migrant workers had the same employment rights and protections as other United Kingdom workers, including the minimum wage and protection against discrimination.  In 2023, it was ensured that all seasonal workers would receive at least 32 hours of work per week, and the minimum wage was also raised. 

The employment rate for people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin had increased in recent years; historically this was low in the United Kingdom.  Levels of qualifications at schools were lower for some ethnic groups, which affected employment opportunities.  The State was planning to introduce mandatory pay reporting by ethnicity and disability. 

A whitepaper would be published setting out the reforms expected by the Government on health and disability.  There were a range of ethnic minority support mechanisms in place. 

The current rates of income-related benefits did not represent a minimum requirement, which could vary depending on people’s circumstances.  The current Government had committed to reviewing universal credit to tackle poverty.  The new child poverty strategy would focus on the benefit cap and the two-child limit. The Department for Work and Pensions published a range of independent evaluations in a wide range of social policy, including households below-average incomes. 

The Government would provide more than eight billion pounds this year for education, representing a 30 per cent increase from the previous year.  Tax free childcare was a United-Kingdom wide offer to support parents to return to work, or work more when they needed to.  Families could receive up to 2,000 pounds per child per year, or 4,000 pounds if the child had a disability.   

A fund could be used to increase funds paid to adult social care providers and reduce waiting times. The Care Act 2014 placed emphasis on local authorities to shape their care market, making sure they were meeting the needs of the local population. 

In 2022, the Scottish Government published a refreshed Fair Work Vision, with a key goal of reducing the gender pay gap.  The median gender pay gap had decreased from 15.6 per cent in 2016, to 9.2 per cent in 2024. The disability employment had been reduced to around 37 per cent, which was its lowest level, with plans to halve the gap by 2028.  The Scottish Government was delivering 15 social security payments and was investing around 6.9 billion pounds in social security payments. 

Questions by Committee Experts

JOO-YOUNG LEE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked how the State would ensure the income-related benefits were adequate for those living in disadvantaged situations?  According to information, there may be a gap among the poorest of families for accessing childcare entitlements, particularly families that were not working. Could this be clarified? 

A Committee Expert asked for examples where violations of the right of women workers compared to men had been judicially assessed?  What remedies were applied?

Another Expert asked if there were plans for a participatory poverty assessment to be conducted every few years to identify those who were affected?   

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, asked if indexation based on inflation would be adopted, to more accurately reflect the living wage? 

JULIETA ROSSI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about the two-child cap on certain social security benefits, including universal credit.  This cap could have a huge impact on child poverty levels.  What was the rationale behind this?  What were the obstacles to immediately repealing the two-child limit?  The State had a high level of child policy, up to 30 per cent, so the Committee would appreciate more information being provided on this subject.

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said income-related benefits were rated annually in the United Kingdom, based on the level of the consumer-prices index.  As such, benefits for 2025 would be increased by 1.7 per cent.  The two-child cap was introduced as the United Kingdom faced a financial crisis a few years ago.  There was absolutely a relationship between the cap and the number of children in poverty.  The cap remained in place, but a taskforce was reviewing how the State would tackle the high levels of child poverty in the country, and would determine the best steps in this regard.  Removing the cap depended on the United Kingdom’s fiscal position. 

The Low Pay Commission made annual recommendations on the appropriate rates of entities such as the minimum wage.  The Government’s impact assessment for 2025 found that women, younger and older workers, workers with a disability, and those from ethnic backgrounds, were more likely to be in minimum wage drops and more likely to benefit from the raising of the minimum wage in April 2025.  The Government had committed to reviewing the parental leave system to ensure it offered the best support to working families. 

The Scottish Government had used other policies to determine the real living wage, including when issuing public sector grants and other funding.  The proposed human rights bill would aim to meet standards pertaining to the Covenant. 

Working parent entitlements were established to support parents to return to work, which was why that entitlement was contingent on work.  Non-working families could access 15 hours of Government-funded early education. 

The Education Minister in Northern Ireland was committed to bringing forward a strategy which would make childcare more affordable, among other initiatives.  A new childcare subsidy scheme had been implemented, and preschool education had been expanded, allowing more than 2,000 additional children to receive a fulltime place in 2025. 

Questions by Committee Experts

JULIETA ROSSI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said the United Kingdom was one of the richest economies in the world, yet extremely high figures of poverty persisted.  According to information, during the period 2022/2023, 21 per cent of the population lived in relative poverty, with alarming rates of 30 per cent in childhood, or 4.3 million children.  Was the State developing a strategy to achieve a drastic and short-term reduction of poverty, which prioritised child poverty and poverty of disadvantaged groups? What measures had the State implemented in response to the recommendations of the review of child welfare care, as well as those issued by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in June 2023?

According to statistics, food insecurity increased from 4.7 million to 7.2 million between 2021/22 and 2022/23, especially affecting low-income households.  What was the Government doing to address this alarming situation?  According to reports, there was a persistent housing crisis in the State party, including increasing rates of homelessness in the country, with most being women. Housing prices were high, as were mortgage rates, with rents rising higher than inflation in some parts of the country.  The lack of affordable housing for persons with disabilities was a factor which determined that they remained institutionalised, and there was inadequate initial accommodation for asylum seekers, among other issues.  What was the Government doing to address this crisis? 

According to independent research commissioned by the Government in 2024, the National Health Service in England was in critical condition due to lack of funding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages and inefficiency in management. What were the details of the results of the investigation, and the drafting of a 10-year plan to address these issues? 

Suicide rates remained high in the country, especially among men.  Persons with disabilities, gypsy, Roma and nomadic communities had high suicide rates compared to the general population.  Could information about the new mental health bill for England and Wales be provided?  What were the developments in other jurisdictions?

 

Data from 2020 to 2022 showed the highest maternal mortality rates in England since 2003 to 2005, with a disproportionate impact on women in the most deprived areas. What were the results of the research commissioned by the Task Force on Maternal Disparities in 2022 and the policies in place to address this issue?  Access to sexual and reproductive care across the UK showed regional disparities; what measures had been adopted to unify this? 

There had been a huge increase in drug-related deaths in the State party.  What plans and strategies were in place to prevent deaths, taking into account the disproportionate impact on certain communities? Were there plans to review the criminalisation of personal consumption and expand harm reduction services, including supervised drug consumption rooms?

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said the United Kingdom Government was developing a child poverty strategy to be launched in spring, as part of a 10-year strategy to address the issue. The strategy would look at increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, and offering better local support.  The incoming Government had committed to ending dependence on emergency food parcels.  In the financial year 2025/2026, funding of 742 million pounds would be devolved to local governments to help address this issue.

Concerning support for families, the State’s response published in 2023 was to shift the focus away from crisis intervention and towards early help for families, ensuring children remained with their families as much as possible.  This was a multidisciplinary support offer which would work with the entire family at the earliest level possible.  When children could not remain with their families, they were supported to live with kinship families or foster families. 

A social supermarket programme had been rolled out across all areas in Northern Ireland from 2022 to address food poverty.  Other support included debt and benefits advice, health food advice, and cooking on a budget.  A programme to tackle organized crime was established in 2016 and it had been extended until 2027.  Sexual and reproductive health services were provided across all five trust areas in Northern Ireland.  There were workforce challenges and the need for further investment. 

The United Kingdom Government had committed to support first time home buyers.  The Government was seeking to deliver the biggest increase in affordable housing in a generation, with 110,000 to 130,000 social homes to be built over the next five years.  Since 2021, local authorities in England were required to ensure victims of domestic abuse and their children could access safe accommodation.  The Government would invest 160 million pounds in domestic safe accommodation in the next financial year. 

Concerning Travellers, the Government aimed to ensure fair and equal treatment for them.  The revised policy for Traveller sites outlined that accommodation for Travellers should provide access for healthy lifestyles and health services. 

The Scottish Government regarded poverty as a huge concern and had implemented the Child Poverty Act, which required poverty reduction plans to be published every four years.  Actions in the plans included raising incomes and lowering essential costs.  The Scottish Government had committed over three million pounds for remote rural and island health care.  The aim was to develop a model where services were provided as locally as possible, to ensure equitable outcomes. 

Progress had been made in maternal care in the rural north of Scotland, via the plan which focused on restoring obstetric maternity care in the area.  The Scottish Government acknowledged that the number of drug and alcohol related deaths in Scotland remained too high.  The Government had launched a five-year mission to combat this, and the first “Safer Drug Consumption” facility in the United Kingdom had been opened in Glasgow last year. 

One of the Government’s priorities was to clear the asylum backlog claims, and ensure people were housed in more effective and supervised accommodation.  Due to the exceptional number of unaccompanied children arriving in the United Kingdom from 2020, the Home Office had opened hotels to support these children, with a team residing within the hotels to support each child.  The teams included staff to provide medical and psychological support.  When the last hotel closed in 2024, all remaining children went directly into State care.  The United Kingdom had no plans to legalise or decriminalise drugs. 

The mental health bill was introduced in November 2024 and would modernise the mental health act, including through addressing unnecessary detentions shaped by racial disparity.  The suicide strategy for England looked at what could be done for groups with higher suicide rates, including autistic people, Roma, refugees, asylum seekers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.   Anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis could speak with a trained member of the National Health Service on the phone.  An additional 150 million pounds had been invested over the past two years to support mental health services.  Fifty million pounds would be invested into research into maternity inequalities to improve outcomes for all women.  England supported harm reduction activities, including needle and syringe testing.

Welsh Ministers had a duty to submit child poverty objectives, and report on them every three years.  There was a targeted school meals programme for children. Over 3.4 million pounds had been made available as a capital grant fund for local Welsh authorities to fund residential or transit sites for Travellers.  The Welsh Government was currently finalising a new mental health strategy, with a focus on tackling inequalities. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert commended the delegation for being so well prepared and for their excellent time management.  What steps had the State party taken to ensure a more just and equitable financial architecture which prioritised human rights in lending policies?  What steps had the State taken for cancelling debt for countries in debt crisis?  What was the State party’s position on the use of compulsory license to promote access to health products in foreign countries? 

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, said the Scottish Government had provided a good example of safer drug consumption facilities.  Why did this not go hand in hand with decriminalisation?  What was the trajectory of decriminalisation?  Would the United Kingdom adopt a universal drug 

policy which covered all its territories?

JULIETA ROSSI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said there was a pressing need to implement the child poverty strategy as soon as possible.  Could a more specific timeline for its implementation be provided?   The United Kingdom was one of the wealthiest countries in the world and had an obligation to earmark resources to reverse the situation of poverty in the country. How was the State addressing the issue of energy poverty? 

JOO-YOUNG LEE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said there was a concern that rent rises, in combination with a lack of social housing, were putting families at risk of homelessness.  What was being done to address this issue?

Another Expert asked for measures adopted to address child obesity?  Were taxes on junk food being increased?

An Expert asked about the emergency response in Northern Ireland to address the large number of deaths of homeless people?

A Committee Expert asked what indicators were used to measure poverty?  Did the State use the multidimensional poverty index?

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said the child poverty strategy would be published in the spring, but acknowledged that people living in poverty needed help now.  In the meantime, steps had been taken to reduce the universal credit rate, which would benefit 1.2 million households.  Some of the challenges around food poverty related to incomes, rather than access to food, and this was being addressed in the food poverty strategy.  The United Kingdom used the universally recognised definition of poverty, which was measured by income. 

There were no plans to change United Kingdom drug laws.  There was clear medical and scientific evidence which showed that controlled drugs were harmful.  There were no plans to extend United Kingdom drug legislation to the Overseas Territories.

The United Kingdom had committed 1.6 billion pounds to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which was committed to sustainable and equitable access of vaccines.  The National Health Service had doubled investment in gender dysphoria services and increased the number of clinics from seven to 12. 

Obesity was concentrated within the most deprived areas.  The Government was addressing this by limiting school children’s access to fast food, preventing advertisements of the least healthy foods, and delivering schemes such as the healthy milk and the school fruit and vegetables scheme. 

The United Kingdom was committed to working with partners to tackle unsustainable debt and coordinated with other official creditors to provide debt relief and promote debt sustainability for developing countries. 

Scotland had released the Good Food Nation Plan in 2024, setting out the objectives the Government aimed to achieve on food related issues.  The long-term strategy for housing was published in 2021, addressing housing supply across the whole country, affordability and choice, and housing’s role in achieving net zero. 

Northern Ireland was tackling homelessness through a strategy and had developed a strategic action plan for accommodation.  Funding for homelessness services would increase to nearly one billion pounds in England in the next financial year to prevent rough sleeping.

A levy was applied to pre-packaged soft drink with an added five grams of sugar per 100 millilitres; drinks that contained less than five grams of sugar did not pay the levy, which was paid by packagers and importers.  The Government had committed an additional 3.5 million pounds over the next few years for the warm homes plan, with multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy assistance to low-income households.   

The United Kingdom was supportive of the development of a new sharing and benefits system to support adequate and fair sharing of benefits, and was committed to working with African partners to develop such a system.

The United Kingdom published multi-dimensional poverty measures annually. The Government’s priority was to grow the economy, as this was the best way to improve living standards. To achieve growth, decisions on tax and spending needed to be balanced. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

LAURA CRACIUNEAN-TATU, Committee Chair and Taskforce Member of the United Kingdom, said in England and Wales, the attainment gaps in education were widening, with inadequate measures to address them.  In Scotland, the new bill on education had been criticised as it failed to address urgent needs, and there were high levels of bullying in school, including incidents of misogyny and racism.  There were also major issues of bullying in Northern Ireland, including cyberbullying, on the grounds of race, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics, disability, migration or other status.  Traveller and Roma children had some of the lowest levels of educational attainment.  Acts including the Special Needs Disability Act 2016 and the Integrated Education Act 2022 had not been fully implemented.  For Jersey, measures to address the poverty-related attainment gap were inefficient, and the Jersey premium had limited impact. 

What measures had been implemented to address these challenges, and what were the concrete results? How were they evaluated in terms of impact and implementation?  How was it ensured that all educators were trained on bullying and what targeted measures were in place to address this issue?  Did children of migrant families have access to education, including language support, uniform grants, school meals and school transport?  How was it ensured that Traveller and Roma children remained in the educational system?  In Northern Ireland, there were currently 72 integrated schools; was there a plan to increase this number?  Was there any evaluation of the impact of the Jersey premium in reducing the attainment gap?  Were there any plans to address legislation to balance between the right to light work and the full benefit of education for children?

Had the Irish Language Commissioner been appointed?  What measures were in place to ensure that the arts sector in all jurisdictions received sufficient, secure, long-term funding proportional to inflation, and that the right to take part in cultural life was not affected by the cost-of-living increases?  What measures were in place to ensure access to sport for transgender persons and persons with disabilities?

Could information be provided on the status of the proposed Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill and how it would contribute to fostering intercultural dialogue and reconciliation?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said last year, a proposal for a draft remedial order was introduced into the United Kingdom parliament, as the first step to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. 

The Government wanted to see more people engaging in physical activity, and that included transgender persons.  A different approach was required in competitive sport, where the Government had a responsibility to protect the integrity of women’s sport.  Each sport was different, and the Government worked with all sports organizations to prioritise integrity while also being inclusive.  For instance, tennis and golf had decided to protect the fairness of competition at the competitive level, but adopt a more inclusive approach at the recreational level. 

Access to culture was a core part of the United Kingdom, and each part of the country had an Arts Council.  Much of the cultural offerings in the United Kingdom were free of charge, including entry to museums and free music tuition for children. 

The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act in Northern Ireland commenced in 2021.  It put onus on schools to address the motivations of bullying and put policies in place at the school level.  Three new language authorities would be established with preparations at an advanced stage. 

The Scottish Government published a cultural strategy in 2020 and a refreshed action plan to support delivery in 2023, responding to recent challenges including COVID-19 and the cost of living.  The Government had allocated more than 50 million pounds to cultural funding, which was an historic increase. 

Wales had invested two million pounds in literacy programmes and 1.6 million pounds for science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools.  In Wales, around 67 per cent of students attending mainstream schools could access a free school meal at lunchtime.  Tackling the impact of poverty in education was a priority. New guidance was published to help schools support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller students.  The school curriculum had been developed to be inclusive for all learners, with diversity as a cross-cutting theme.  Cardiff had been secured as the host of the Euro Games in 2027, which was a key event for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. 

Post COVID, the Government had established the Oak Academy, which had a specific focus on closing attainment gaps.  Teachers had reported positive outcomes when using Oak resources.  Local authorities were required to provide sufficient school places for the area.  No child could be denied schooling based on their ethnicity.  There was an active Gypsy and Roma stakeholder group which aimed to ensure that the barriers these young people faced were addressed. 

Education Scotland had rolled out several programmes, including to address gender stereotypes, unconscious bias, and domestic abuse.  Numerous provisions had been put in place in Jersey to ensure equal education access for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Sport England had a 10-year plan to increase the participation of sport for persons with disabilities.  The overall investment figure into disability focused access was around 30 million pounds per year.  There had been 6.7 million pounds of investment directly to national disability sport organizations.  As a direct result of such investment, the United Kingdom took second place in the medal tally of the Paralympics last summer, which would inspire more people with disabilities to participate in sport. 

Questions by Committee Experts

JOO-YOUNG LEE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked what measures were in place to ensure children of pre-school age had access to affordable, quality childhood education?  The State party continued to treat social security as an instrument for getting people to work.  It was highly likely that if this approach continued, the State party would fail to address poverty.  Social security must be used to achieve an adequate standard of living for all people. 

A Committee Expert asked to what extent corporal punishment at school was prohibited and sanctioned?  Was any form of corporal punishment against children treated as a criminal offence? What measures were being taken to implement anti-bullying plans? 

JULIETA ROSSI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked how the State party was addressing the issue of stateless persons, particularly when it came to access to education and family reunification? 

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, said there were more than 80,000 children in foster care across the United Kingdom.  What was being done to close the attainment gaps in education for these children?  How was bullying prevented against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students? 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said it was not correct that the Government considered social security just as a route to work.  Children’s early years were crucial to their development, health and life chances, and the Government aimed to set every child up to have the best start in life. 

The Home Office Stateless Policy was designed to assist those who were not recognised as a citizen of any country.  This provided a means for stateless persons in the United Kingdom to access their basic human rights. 

All forms of physical punishment of children were against the law in Scotland in all settings. An Act was passed in 2019 which removed the defence of “reasonable chastisement” to the existing offence of assault. 

Closing Remarks

SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Leader, extended appreciation to the United Kingdom delegation for its superb time and sequence management, which allowed the Committee to raise all relevant questions.  The State party should implement robust legislative programmes and ensure people were confident that they would be protected at the international level.  The Committee implored the United Kingdom to ensure that all Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories under its control provided the highest standard of human rights to everyone.  Mr. Nonthasoot thanked all those who had made the dialogue possible. 

ROBERT LINHAM, Deputy Director, Rights Policy, Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom and head of the delegation, said the dialogue had been rich and detailed, covering a variety of issues.  It was hoped that the Committee could see the efforts being undertaken in the whole of the United Kingdom to improve economic, social and cultural rights. The United Kingdom was a great supporter in the work of the treaty bodies and it was hoped this was evident through the dialogue.  Mr. Linham thanked everyone who had supported the dialogue. 

 

 

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