HL Deb 16 October 2003 vol 653 cc1095-7

3.9 p.m.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Iraq Survey Group is accountable to the British Government; and, if so, how this is reported to Parliament.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)

My Lords, the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is not part of the Coalition Provisional Authority. It is part of the United States-led military forces in Iraq and is therefore accountable to the United States Administration. British personnel seconded to the survey group are under the tactical control of the United States' commander. They are under the operational command of and accountable to the United Kingdom Chief of Joint Operations and thus to Her Majesty's Government. On reporting, the findings of the group are available to the coalition partners, including our own Intelligence and Security Committee, which will have access to the full text of the ISG interim report.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

My Lords, can the Minister confirm that the second-in-command of the ISG is a British brigadier, that the second largest component in the ISG is British and that David Kay in his interim report to a joint meeting of four congressional committees referred to the ISG as "a joint operation" of the coalition partners; that is, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom? Is this a joint operation which, nevertheless, is entirely American?

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Indeed not, my Lords. I believe my Answer was very clear. I have been extraordinarily careful in the drafting of this response for the purposes of accuracy. The noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, is right; the second-in-command is British. He is right that there are about 60 to 100 British personnel involved in the ISG. Numbers vary; in the whole operation there are about 1,300 or so. Indeed, this is a joint operation and the reporting is as I have indicated to your Lordships.

Lord Astor of Hever

My Lords, in the light of the White House request for a further 600 million dollars on top of the 300 million already spent, what is the total UK contribution?

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

My Lords, I am not in a position to give your Lordships an idea of the total UK monetary contribution. Our contribution in terms of participation in and support for the survey group has been predicated not only on our sharing relevant findings but on having operational input and offering advice on strategy through the appropriate channels. I shall do my best to obtain a monetary figure for your Lordships and place a copy of my response to the noble Lord in the Library of the House. However, this is not purely a monetary issue; it is also about participation.

Lord Roberts of Conwy

My Lords, will the interim or final report be made available to this Parliament?

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

My Lords, I have asked for a copy of the interim report to be placed in the Library of the House. The interim report is also available on the Internet. It can be found at www.cia.gov. If the noble Lord wants to look that up he is now in a position to do so. However, he need not go to that trouble because I shall ensure that a copy is placed in the Library of the House.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

My Lords, I note that on 5th June, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, then Her Majesty's representative at the United Nations, announcing the setting up of the ISG, stated, we the coalition provisional authority on the ground, are instituting the work of the Iraq Survey Group to carry out the business of investigation on the ground". Does that not imply that the British Government are very much part of a joint operation for which the Government should be responsible to Parliament?

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Indeed, my Lords, but I do not think that what Sir Jeremy Greenstock said goes against what I have said. We are participating by way of our input to and strategic support for the ISG. However, as a matter of accuracy it is not part of the Coalition Provisional Authority. I am bound to tell your Lordships that in the end it really does not make a great deal of difference because a version of the report will be placed in the Library. The full report cannot be placed in the Library—noble Lords would not expect that to be the case—because if published it would jeopardise the security of personnel on the ground in Iraq. However, it will be available to the ISC and I am assured that that will reflect the availability of the report to the equivalent committees in the United States.