§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2003,Official Report, column 515W, to the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash), what advice the Attorney-General has given the Government on war with Iraq without explicit United Nations authorisation. [103971]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 17 March 2003,Official Report, column 515W, to the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash), in which I set out the terms of a written answer by the Attorney-General to a question from Baroness Ramsay on his view of the legal basis for the use of force against Iraq.
By longstanding convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact and substance of Law Officers' advice is not disclosed outside Government. This convention is referred to in paragraph 24 of the ministerial code.
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to her answer of 17 March 2003,Official Report, column 515W, on Iraq, what discussions the Attorney-General has had with his United States counterpart on the legality of a military attack upon Iraq without a successor resolution to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441. [104004]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe Attorney-General had a short meeting with his US counterpart in Washington on 10 February. Discussion covered a range of legal issues. It is not the practice to disclose the content of confidential discussions with foreign Governments.