HC Deb 24 April 1991 vol 189 c484W
Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's current assessment as to when Iraq will be able to produce nuclear weapons.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 12 December 1990,Official Report, column 430.

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has as to the movement of Iraqi safeguarded material out of the nuclear facilities prior to them being attacked by allied forces.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

We do not know whether the Iraqis moved safeguarded material out of the Tuwaitha nuclear research centre near Baghdad prior to the attack by allied forces. The material was inspected by the IAEA in November 1990 and was reportedly all accounted for. Inspections of Iraq's nuclear facilities to be carried out in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 687 adopted on 3 April should provide an opportunity to determine the location of the safeguarded material.

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