Iraq (Hansard, 30 June 2003)

HC Deb 30 June 2003 vol 408 cc65-6W 65W

§ Mr. Simmonds
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the sites in Iraq categorised by the British Government as key in the search for weapons of mass destruction; which of these sites have been searched by Coalition forces; what percentage of the total number of sites this represents; and if he will publish any significant evidence that has been discovered. [115516]

§ Mr. Hoon
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April 2003,Official Report, column 315W, to the hon. Member for Southport (Dr. Pugh).
The Coalition has several hundred sites we wish to examine and further sites are being identified as investigations develop. Investigations may require more than one visit to certain sites. The process of visiting and examining the sites and other evidence will not be quick, and the number of sites visited or left to visit is not an indication of the success of the task at hand.
As the Government have already made clear we will aim to release information concerning evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes and when and where appropriate.
66W

§ Mr. Allen
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqis have been tried in proceedings initiated or authorised by the British occupation authorities for offences committed(a) before and (b) after the occupation of Iraq; and what legislative procedures have been used in these trials. [121483]

§ Mr. Rammell
The applicable law is the law that applied in Iraq on 16 April 2003 (in accordance with Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Regulation No. 1), subject to modifications and amendments made by the CPA. On 9 June 2003 the CPA issued an Order amending the Iraqi Penal Code to ensure compliance with basic international legal obligations.
No Iraqis have been tried in proceedings initiated or authorised by the British occupation authorities for offences committed before the occupation of Iraq. I will write to my hon. Friend when the information becomes available regarding the number of Iraqis tried by the Iraqi court authorities.