§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what investigations he has carried out into the activities of Mr. Riad Al Taher; [21693]
(2) what representations he has received from Mr. Riad Al Taher about sanctions against Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [21694]
133W
§ Mr. Needham[holding answers 28 April 1995]: We have not had any representations from Mr. Riad Al Taher and have not carried out any investigations into his activities.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what assistance his Department will give to the Iraqi-British Interests Group on its forthcoming visit to Iraq; [21701]
(2) if he will make a statement on the relationship between his Department and Mr. Edmund Sykes; [21692]
(3) if he will make a statement on the forthcoming visit by the Iraqi-British Interests Group to Iraq; [21700]
(4) what requests for assistance his Department has received from the Iraqi-British Interests Group for its forthcoming visit to Iraq; [21702]
(5) if he will make a statement on the relationship between his Department and Mr. Stephen Crouch. [21691]
§ Mr. Needham[holding answers 28 April 1995]: The Iraqi-British Interests Group is an independent lobby group which has no official standing. My Department has no details of any specific visit to Iraq to be made by it. It has not made any requests for assistance in connection with such a visit; nor would we be prepared to provide organisational support for it to visit Iraq. Acts calculated to promote the supply of goods to or from Iraq would require a licence from my Department. Applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis but licences are normally issued only for exports or discussions relating to goods permitted under sanctions—that is, humanitarian goods. Any contacts with Mr. Edmund Sykes and Mr. Stephen Crouch have been those necessary for the exercise of my Department's responsibilities.