HC Deb 03 April 2000 vol 347 cc281-2W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 24 March 2000,Official Report, columns 1292–93 on Iraq, what assessment he has made of the letter of 9 March from Riad El-Taher of Friendship Across Frontiers. [116875]

Mr. Hain

FCO officials replied to Mr. El-Taher's letter of 9 March on 29 March addressing his comments on the humanitarian situation in Iraq.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 24 March 2000,Official Report, columns 1292–93 on Iraq, what evidence he has received that Iraq is manufacturing chlorine-based mustard gas. [116871]

Mr. Hain

To reiterate the point in my statement of 24 March 2000,Official Report, columns 1292–93, chlorine is a constituent of mustard gas which was used by Iraq in the attack on Halabja in 1988. It is therefore clearly important that we are sure that chlorine imported into Iraq under the "oil for food" programme is used for the purposes for which it was approved.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, concerning his willingness to debate Government policy on Iraq, if he will do so at Kensington Town Hall on 6 May with Denis Halliday and Hans von Sponeck. [117247]

Mr. Hain

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in his letter, he is happy to debate Government policy on Iraq, as am I. Indeed I debated our policy with my hon. Friend in the House most recently on 24 March.

Forward to