E/CN.4/1997/7 page 39 Rapporteur of measures that had been or were to be taken pursuant to the recommendations in his report (see E/CN.4/1996/35, paras. 142-148). During the present reporting period, the Government continued to inform the Special Rapporteur of such measures taken, pursuant to resolutions 1995/37 B, paragraph 11 and 1996/33 B, paragraph 11 of the Commission on Human Rights, concerning follow-up work relating to country visits. 173. On 22 January 1996 the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that under a decree signed by the President of the Russian Federation on 29 September 1995, State enterprises/institutions that applied criminal penalties in the form of deprivation of freedom were to become State unitary enterprises (federal State-funded enterprises) during 1996/97. Proposals to introduce the changes dictated by the decree would have to be tabled in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly. The Government subsequently informed the Special Rapporteur that Council of Europe officials and experts and officials of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs had participated in the fourth session of the Steering Committee on reform of the custodial system in the Russian Federation, held in Moscow from 20 to 22 February 1996. The issues addressed included those concerning personnel involved in the enforcement of penalties, reducing the number of inmates in prison institutions and conditions in which prisoners are held. The Committee decided that proposals for changes in legislation must not lead to an increase in the number of prison inmates and steps must be taken so that legislation contains clear criteria concerning conditions in places of detention and to ensure that courts adhere to those criteria in accordance with the requirements of article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Committee also noted the importance of efforts to improve the working conditions of staff in places of detention, thereby making it possible to raise the entrance requirements for work in those institutions. It was agreed to convene the next meeting on 6 and 7 May 1996 in Strasbourg and to hold a future seminar on questions pertaining to the protection of staff of custodial institutions. 174. On 27 September 1996 the Government advised the Special Rapporteur that on 5 June 1996 the upper house of the Russian Federation’s Federal Assembly had adopted a decision suggesting to the Russian Government that it take urgent measures to provide sufficient funds for the penal system to operate normally and that it provide instructions to the relevant committees of the Federation Council to examine proposals from the Procurator General of Russia for legislation aimed at strengthening human rights safeguards and reinforcing legality in the Russian penal system and to prepare them for submission to the State Duma. The decision also served as a basis for an appeal from the Federation Council to legislative (representative) and executive organs of State power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that the situation regarding the provision of supplies and equipment to the Russian penal system which had deteriorated markedly in recent years; the conditions of detention in remand centres ( sizos ) under the control of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) constituted flagrant violations of human rights and of the law and the international obligations of the Russian Federation. The Federation Council called on the legislative and executive organs of State power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to assist in repairing, modernizing and building MVD sizos in their territories and in supplying them with food and medicine in at least the minimum necessary quantities.