HL Deb 11 June 1997 vol 580 cc81-2WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Mr. Hussein Al Dulaimi, Dr. Tikriti and other senior officials of the Iraqi Ministries of Oil and of Industry, and of the Military Industrial Organisation, have applied for visas to visit the UK; whether it is the Government's practice to refuse all such applications; and whether they have evidence that the Iraqis are trying to persuade companies in the UK and elsewhere to breach the United Nations sanctions for the purpose of developing the Nassiriya oil field in southern Iraq.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Five Iraqi officials applied for visas to visit the UK. Visas are issued to Iraqi government officials only if there is a compelling reason to do so. In this instance, they were refused. We have no evidence to suggest that the Iraqis are trying to breach sanctions for the purpose of developing the Nassiriya oil field in southern Iraq.