HL Deb 18 November 1991 vol 532 cc54-5WA
Viscount Mersey

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What inspections have so far been carried out by the United Nations Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Iraq under the terms of SCR 687, and what contribution Britain is making to their work.

Lord Cavendish of Furness

We are actively supporting the work of the UN Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as they carry out their mandates under the relevant Security Council resolutions. They have so far completed 20 inspections. These are listed below, together with details of the assistance given by Britain. A further two inspections are currently in progress.

In addition to providing assistance for specific inspections, a senior British expert on chemical and biological defence matters is a full-time member of the Special Commission. Other British experts have taken part in ad hoc specialist meetings. One is Chairman of the CW Destruction Advisory Panel, who also took part, together with the British member of the Commission, in two fact-finding missions to Iraq on chemical weapons. We have made available to the United Nations information on Iraq's weapons capabilities. The Government also supports in principle the nuclear industry's readiness to assist the IAEA, in partnership with French industry, in the IAEA's task of recovering irradiated nuclear fuel from Iraq.

We shall continue strongly to support the work of the Special Commission and IAEA, and encourage others to do likewise. It is vitally important for the security of the region and the world that Iraq should not be allowed to retain or redevelop its weapons of mass destruction.

Date1 Inspection2 UK inspectors3/Technical experts Equipment/Assistance provided
2–8 August UNSCOM 7—first biological weapons inspection. Five, including the leader. Chemical agent monitors, individual protective equipment, sampling kits, Standby Assay Kits, tropical bleach and RAF transport. CBDE Porton Down analysed samples.
8–15 August UNSCOM 8—third ballistic missile inspection. One —
15–22 August UNSCOM 9—second chemical weapons inspection. One CBDE, Porton Down analysed samples.
18–20 July4 UNSCOM 10—second ballistic missile inspection. — —
30 August to 8 September UNSCOM 11—third chemical weapons inspection. One Chemical agent monitors, individual protective equipment. CBDE Porton Down analysed samples.
30 August to 5 September UNSCOM 12—fourth chemical weapons inspection. One Chemical agent monitors, and individual protective equipment.
6–13 September UNSCOM 13—fourth ballistic missile inspection. One —
14–20 September UNSCOM 14—fifth IAEA nuclear inspection. — —
September to October UNSCOM 15—second biological weapons inspection. Two, including the deputy leader. Chemical agent monitors, individual protective equipment, sampling kits, kits, Standby Assay Kits, tropical bleach. CBDE Porton Down analysed samples.
21–30 September UNSCOM—sixth IAEA nuclear inspection. Two Assistance with cataloguing and translating documents.
6 October to 9 November UNSCOM 17—fifth chemical weapons inspection. Five in Iraq, including the deputy leader and a CBDE Porton Down analytical team, plus a further CBDE Porton Down analytical team in the area. Chemical agent monitors, sampling kits, individual protective equipment, gas chromatograph—mass spectrometer, infra-red spectrometer, fume cupboards and generator, tropical bleach and Fullers' Earth.
1–14 October UNSCOM 18—fifth ballistic missile inspection. Two —
11–22 October UNSCOM 19—seventh IAEA nuclear inspection. One —
22 October to 2 November UNSCOM 20—sixth chemical weapons inspection. One Chemical agent monitors and individual protective equipment.
1 Dates for entry/exit into/out of Iraq.
2 UNSCOM denotes "UN Special Commission".
3 Not including UN or IAEA employed UK nationals.
4 Brought forward at short notice.