Iraq (Hansard, 10 November 2003)

§ Linda Perham
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to prevent tensions arising between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq. [136583]

§ Mr. Rammell
The Government and Coalition Provisional Authority officials have had regular meetings with representatives of many Iraqi political and religious groups, including the Sunni and Shia communities, to hear their views and to encourage dialogue between them. The Iraqi Governing Council contains representatives from both communities.

§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations took place between Her Majesty's Government and(a) the UN, (b) the United States and 39W (c) the Coalition Provisional Authority prior to the signing of Order 39 by Mr.Paul Bremer in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [136578]

§ Mr. Straw
Order 39 of the Coalition Provisional Authority is the product of consultations between the Government and the Coalition Provisional Authority, relevant Departments of the US Administration, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative, the International Financial Institutions and the Iraqi Governing Council. Such consultations, called for under the terms of UNSCR 1483, are a necessary and normal part of the preparation of legislation by the coalition.

§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the(a) name, (b) rank and (c) role of the senior British personnel employed by the Coalition Provisional Authority; and if he will make a statement. [136579]

§ Mr. Straw
The senior British personnel seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) are: Andy Bearpark, Director of Operations and Infrastructure (formerly United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General and Representative of the EU/EC, Kosovo); Sir Hilary Synnott, Regional Coordinator, CPA South (formerly High Commissioner, Pakistan); John Tesh, Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Defence Support Agency (formerly Director Balkans, MOD); Jim Daniell, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior (formerly Director of Crime Reduction and Policing Policy, Home Office); Deputy Chief Constable Douglas Brand, Senior Police Advisor to the Ministry of Interior; Deputy Chief Constable Steve White, Senior Advisor. Law and Order, CPA South; Brigadier John Riley, Deputy Commanding General, Coalition Military Advisory Training Team (CMATT); and Brigadier Bruce Brealey, Senior Military Advisor, CPA South.

§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the remit of the UK's special envoy to Iraq. [136580]

§ Mr. Straw
As the British Government's Special Representative in Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, is the senior British official there. In that independent capacity, he is working with, and in full support of, ambassador Bremer to facilitate a political process aimed at the swiftest possible establishment of a sovereign, stable, respresentative and internationally recognised Iraqi government; and to ensure the interim administration, assistance and reconstruction which are necessary for that goal.

§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 28 October 2003,Official Report, column 186W, on the Iraq Survey Group, what role the Government played in (a) setting up and (b) drawing up the mandate of the Iraq Survey Group; and if he will make a statement. [136813]

§ Mr. Straw
Government officials were consulted from the outset on the establishment of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG). We were able to respond positively to a request for the United Kingdom to provide the Group's second in command.
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§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking, other than through the work of the Iraq Survey Group, to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; whether the Government's assessment of Iraq's weapons programmes differs from that contained in the report of the Group; and if he will make a statement. [136814]

§ Mr. Straw
The function of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is to conduct the post-conflict audit of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes. All the UK's effort on the audit of Iraq's WMD programmes is directed into support for the ISG, including by providing personnel in the field in Iraq. All UK elements in the coalition support the search for WMD as required.
Since the work of the ISG is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for the Government to make a full assessment of the interim results presented so far.