§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 3 June,Official Report, column 127, what is his Department's assessment as to the consequences for water supply, public health and food distribution of the damage to Iraqi conventional power stations by coalition bombing during the Gulf war.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Ministry of Defence has conducted no such assessment, although the former United Nations Under-Secretary General Ahtisaari produced a report on the situation in Iraq after the conflict following his visit to that country in March 1991. It is believed that Iraq continues to suffer power shortages and that, as a consequence, some areas have reduced water supply.