§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline and present, in detail, an appraisal of the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions against Iraq, the areas judged to require further action in order to tighten and improve their effectiveness and the time scale over which agreed objectives could be achieved in bringing such pressure to bear on the imports and exports from Iraq, so as to fully isolate the regime and cripple its economy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe overall test of the effectiveness of sanctions is whether they persuade Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. After five months there is no evidence that sanctions alone will reverse Saddam Hussein's policy. They have so far caused no serious disruptions in the Iraqi economy.
Above all, sanctions have had a negligible effect on Iraqi military capability. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in the House on 15 January, they are unlikely to achieve such a decisive rundown of Saddam Hussein's military machine that he will leave Kuwait.
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§ Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will publish in theOfficial Report the names of those countries breaking the trading embargo with Iraq;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report those countries in receipt of British overseas aid known to have broken the trading embargo on Iraq.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe co-operate closely with the Governments of friendly countries exchanging information about the practical implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 661, and have alerted them when we have had information that their companies might be engaged in violations. Any such approach has been made in confidence. It is the responsibility of the United Nations sanctions committee to take action on sanctions violations.