Iraq (Hansard, 12 March 2002)

§ 32. Ann Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in Iraq. [39597]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
Iraq's human rights record is appalling. We remain commmitted to doing what we can to bring about improvements in the human rights situation in Iraq and take every opportunity to raise this issue in international fora.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2002,Official Report, column 731, on Iraq, if he will specify to which diplomatic ploys by Saddam Hussein he was referring. [39724]
865W

§ Mr. Bradshaw
Recent moves by the Iraqi regime includeDemarching the EU to establish high-level EU-Iraq relations. We have made clear that this would not be appropriate while Iraq remains in breach of its international obligations. Resuming dialogue with the UN. While we commend the UN Secretary-General's efforts to persuade Iraq to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, including by allowing in the UN weapons inspectors, we note that the Iraqi regime has so far made no concrete commitment to do so. Announcing, via the Iraqi media, that a British team is welcome to visit Iraq to prove that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Although we have received no such offer, we have made clear that we regard this as a propaganda stunt. Iraq is obliged to grant full, unconditional access to UN weapons inspectors.
We regard these moves as diplomatic ploys because we have yet to see any sign that the Iraqi regime is genuinely intending to co-operate with the UN. It will take actions, not words, to persuade us otherwise.

§ 38. Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart concerning American policy towards Iraq. [39603]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with his US counterpart including policy towards Iraq. He last visited the US for policy discussions on 31 January.