PROPOSALS for a new British bill of rights to replace the Human Rights Act will be brought forward towards the end of autumn, Justice Minister Dominic Raab has said.

Mr Raab said the government would launch a consultation on the plans, which were shelved from the Queen's Speech due to opposition from Tory backbenchers.

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The new bill of rights will replace Labour's 1998 Act, which implements the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in UK law.

During justice questions, Mr Raab said: "You won't have too long to wait for the consultation which I've already spoken about.

"We will be releasing that towards the end of the autumn.

"You raise a very good question but I hope you understand if I don't jump the gun by being drawn on substantive detail of our plans before then."

Mr Raab declined to say whether a new bill of rights will give UK citizens greater protection than foreign nationals and stressed there was already "variable geometry" in the Human Rights Act.

He was replying to SNP justice spokeswoman Joanna Cherry, who asked: "Can you confirm whether the proposed Bill of Rights will grant all those living in the UK the same levels of protection or whether there will be different levels of rights protection for different categories of person depending on whether they are a UK citizen, an EU, or a non-EU citizen?"

Mr Raab replied: "There is already some variable geometry in the Human Rights Act in relation to the procedural framework so we'll be interested in the views of the SNP and other parties in relation to those aspects."

Meanwhile, the SNP's Peter Grant (Glenrothes) asked for specific assurances that refugees and asylum seekers would have their rights maintained.

Mr Grant said: "Could you give us an indication of the intended direction of travel?

"For example can you give an assurance just now that the rights of refugees seeking asylum in this island will not be deteriorated in any way as a result of the repeal of the Human Rights Act?"

Mr Raab replied: "We're very clear about the absolute prohibition on torture and that includes in relation to the asylum regime.

"If you want an overall steer the major problems have been less with the text of the European Convention but its application and some of those arise because of judicial legislation, others the operation of the Human Rights Act - problems acknowledged across the political spectrum, including by senior members of the judiciary."

Mr Raab stressed the proposals will be subject to a full consultation and that the Government would take its time to get it right.

He said: "We will bring forward proposals on a bill of rights this autumn, they will be subject to full consultation, the preparation is going well."

But Labour's Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) argued: "Is it not the time the Secretary of State listened to his esteemed colleagues and admit these plans were written on the back of a cigarette packet from the very start?"

Mr Raab replied: "The Human Rights Act was itself rushed, there was no period of consultation, it was introduced to Parliament (in) just six months and that's one of the reasons it proved flawed in practice.

"We will take our time to get it right, we will take on board all the views that have been expressed. We want to restore some balance to our human rights regime and that's what a bill of rights will achieve."